


Start Line

by paintgyu



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mentioned BTS - Freeform, beomgyu's an asshole but we'll get to that, kai best bff, side sope, side yeonbin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:22:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 45,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23596801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintgyu/pseuds/paintgyu
Summary: "Hey, nerd,"Being one of the best students in arts, Choi Beomgyu already had his future set together when an incident unknown to the public turns what once was the sweet, innocent boy foreign. Changing his subjects from arts to music, where he meets Kang Taehyun, the person he- to no one's idea why- condemns the most.Taehyun, with the intention of ignoring the harsh looks and snide comments from the boy, gets him as a partner in his music project. Little did he know that what lied behind the cold exterior, was something he had not expected to see.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu & Kang Taehyun, Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun
Comments: 109
Kudos: 247





	1. Chapter 1

"Hey, nerd," a familiar voice said, and Taehyun didn't need to turn around to see it was the infamous Choi Beomgyu. The one who always kept picking on him, who kept following him and became the reason Taehyun hated school.

"Hey, can you hear me? have you gone deaf?" Beomgyu says, quickly stepping infront of the boy, his arms folded and a smirk on his lips, "Whatcha got there?" he says, looking down at the books he was carrying, and Taehyun gulped. hugging it to his chest.

"None of your business, can you just move out of the way?" The younger boy asked, moving a step behind, and some kids from the hallways snickered. No one had ever talked back to Beomgyu. Most people were to scared to.

_"Did you hear what he said? he has guts!"_

_"Beomgyu is so going to beat him up, I can smell the fight!"_

_"shut up, Johnny, he'll hear you,"_

_"Did he just talk back to Choi Beomgyu? that's insane.."_

Beomgyu, not wanting to be laughed at, scowled.

"Move out of the way? these are my fucking hallways," he says, getting closer to the younger. Taehyun starts to feel his palm sweating, "Don't talk back to my face like that again,"

"L-Like what?" Taehyun managed to ask back, despite his stomach feeling heavy. Beomgyu was never a person to mess with, his pride was too high.

Instead of replying, Beomgyu backs up, his arms now on his hips.

"Start fucking moving, I don't want to see your face here again," he says, and the students who were watching gasped.

Beomgyu had never let someone out without beating them

Taehyun thought nothing of it, and walked past. A mistake he should've seen coming.

Beomgyu smirks, and outstretched his foot as the younger passes by. Taehyun had not seen it coming, and his foot gets caught on the older's.

everything felt like it was in slow motion, the papers he held went flying, the books slides across the floor of the hallway, landing on some student's foot, and the milk carton he had saved for lunch spilled over his notes.

Choi Beomgyu laughed and walked away. his little goons following him behind.

The students stayed and whispered, none of them tried to help the poor boy who had fallen, his knees scraped.


	2. Chapter 2

»»----- lunch -----««

"Did you hear, hyung? You’re the talk of the school! I overheard some kids in the hallways and in my class talk about you, and Beomgyu's name was in the conversation too," Kai exclaims all too enthusiastically as he takes a huge bite of his mouth-watering chocolate cake he bought for lunch, "did you really talk back to him? I thought you were smarter than that!"

"I don't think it was a stupid decision, Kai ah," Taehyun states, munching on his sandwich silently, choosing his words, "I don't get why people don't talk back to him. he's all bark, no bite,"

"Yeah? I hate to say it, hyung, but knees are scraped, your notes are wet and I had to buy you a new carton of milk because he knocked you down! what do you call that then, smart guy?" Kai says, "I'm impressed, hyung. really,"

"Hello, guys!" a distant, familiar voice called out. Their cheerful, dimple smiled friend came skipping by, along with his blonde-haired classmate. Soobin and Yeonjun, despite their small age gap, were one of Taehyun and Hyuka’s closest friends in school. They were opposites, the duo. Yeonjun was known by half, if not all by the student body. Maybe even teachers. He was a loud individual. The boy loved to do things that would certainly attract attention, (take his hair for example. He had claimed, just like the poem _For Heidi With the Blue Hair_ , they certainly weren’t dyed in school colors).

Choi Soobin was the contrary. Sweet, soft, kind, and comforting. He was the first person you’d come to when you get a bad grade on a test, or simply for a hug. His arms were always open and awaiting; always ready to give love even if he won’t receive the same amount of it back. His smile would light up a room, cheeks lifting and eyes crinkling at the corner while he tries to cover his mouth whenever he laughs with no avail. His dimples only added to his attractive features.

"Yeonjun hyung, Soobin hyung," Taehyun smiles to the two who were making their way over. Kai makes room for Soobin as Yeonjun sits beside Taehyun, opposite of the two younger, "what took you both so long?"

"Sorry, there was this big fight in the halls," Soobin replies as if it happens on every other day, wiping his spoon on the napkin, "it was intense, but we managed to get through it,"

"a fight?" the youngest asked, "are they okay?"

Yeonjun shrugs in return, seeming to be more focused on the yogurt in his hands than the question, "not sure. I mean, I overheard the usual 'these-are-my-hallways' line again, so you can already tell who that is,"

"ah," Taehyun looked up, "You mean Choi Beomgyu again?"

"Who else would the usual be," Yeonjun stated, "And you've got guts saying his name out loud. I heard he and you had a little encounter this morning?"

"it was embarrassing, that's all that it was," he says, " it's not like I was never bullied before I moved here anyway. I just want to graduate and get out of here into a better university. Maybe if he has me as some sort of permanent target, he’d stop doing it to the others,"

"I wish I was more like you, so brave, and has your future all set together," Kai says beside him, hitting his arm, "I'm a broke student that only wishes to buy BTS albums... do you know how much they cost?"

"speaking of BTS, have you heard their new song 'on'?" Soobin asked, and that made Kai jump.

"You’re an ARMY too?" He jumped, already sounding as if he'd drop Taehyun any moment to talk about BTS with his Soobin hyung. It was no secret that Huening Kai was really close to the boy, always sticking by his side whenever they went on hangouts or study sessions. He was clingy, but the most to Soobin. Sometimes Taehyun can see the way Yeonjun glares at the younger whenever they’re giggling together. The jealous friend concept was painfully obvious.

"Yeah, I am," Soobin says, a shy smile on his face when he says it. Soobin was always known with his shy personality, yet he had leadership skills and that's what made the teachers love him and chose him as student president.

"We've known each other for years yet I just knew this? how?" Kai asked, and Yeonjun had to facepalm, dragging his palm across his face.

"Soobinie told you multiple times, Kai, but you never listen to him," Yeonjun says next to him, scraping up the last of his yogurt, "I have to go to class early. ‘haven't finished my homework yet and I don't feel like getting scolded at again," he says as he stands, taking his tray with him, "see you around!"

"I have to go too," Soobin stands after Yeonjun walked away, "Class starts in fifteen and the lab we're supposed to be at is a long walk from here, ciao," he says, winking at Taehyun at the end, and Kai jolts up.

"Wait, hyung! who’s your bias? hey, hold up!" he yelled after, immediately following Soobin, "Mine's Jimin!" was the last thing heard from him after Soobin left, Kai following right behind him like a little tail.

Taehyun was left alone sitting there as students slowly dispersed out of the eating hall as well, the bell probably going to ring not long afterward. he sighs and shuts the drops his sandwich onto his tray. He had no appetite.

Just as Taehyun was about to get up, a loud slam of books made him look up in shock, eyes widening at the sudden shake from his table. He feels himself shrinking under the icy glare of a certain student who held a sly smirk.

"Hello there, nerd,"

Choi Beomgyu.

_Why are you always after me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to avoid confusion, BTS in this au is the vocal line only│･ω･`)


	3. Chapter 3

Taehyun got up, a sigh escaping his lips. he was tired and if he didn't get a move on he would also be late. He couldn't care less on what Beomgyu was going to do, he just wanted to go to class.

"Do you really think ignoring me will get you more attention?" Beomgyu growled, slamming his hand on the table, causing the cups to rattle, "Hyesu, Chanwook, grab him,"

Taehyun had wanted to ignore him, but the feeling of two, firm hands were immideately felt on his shoulders.

"What the fuck?" Taehyun says, almost cries out. They were squeezing his shoulder tightly, halting Taehyun's overall movements, "What do you want from me, Beomgyu?!"

Beomgyu stands up and looks at the shorter boy, hands in his pocket and clicks his tongue, "you embarrassed me infront of the whole school, talking back like that," he says, "Do you know people are now talking about you? how you 'bravely' managed to talk back to me?!"

Taehyun had no choise but to look at Beomgyu in the eyes, due to one of the hands holding him had grabbed his chin harshly, forcing Taehyun to look his way.

Taehyun bites his tongue, he really didn't know what to do in this situation.

The canteen was almost empty, save for a few students who were still eating, seemingly oblivious to the scene happening at the table behind.

"Are you going to say something, you fucking nerd?" Beomgyu hisses into his face, grabbing the milk carton that Taehyun had finished, and squeezing it in his hand. the cardboard material crushed in his palm. the liquid left seeps out through the gaps in his fingers and drips onto the cold floor, dropping the carton on the floor, waiting for his answer.

"Y-You're a b-bully," Taehyun stutters out, gritting his teeth, "you deserve it,"

Beomgyu's fist raised once the words left his mouth, his face changing from sly to angry, he let out a low growl and pulled back his fist, his knuckles white, about to pack a punch to the younger jaw

"You son of a-"

" _Taehyun hyung_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw, i dont have a sched for updates :3


	4. Chapter 4

" _Taehyun hyung_!"

Taehyun shut his eyes when Beomgyu had raised his fist, but he could tell that the voice was coming from his junior, Kai. The sound of metal being pushed and the tight feeling of the hands on his shoulders were gone, replaced with a comforting hand on the same spot.

"I'll report you to Soobin hyung if you don't stop this," Taehyun hears Kai say, and that's when he opened his eyes.

Kai had pushed Beomgyu down, and the raven male fell on the ground. Both of his friends- Hyesu and Chanwook surround him, helping him up.

Beomgyu pushes them away and looks up at Kai with a venomous gaze, like he was ready to fight. The younger trembles. He was afraid. He had just came and push Beomgyu down and now he was staring intensely into his eyes. Kai swallows a gulp and his hand shakes in fear. 

Kai had only been brave in the heat of the moment, now he was afraid. And Taehyun wouldn't let Beomgyu beat him up just because he saved him.

"Let's just get to class," Taehyun says, standing up and grabbing Kai's hand. And Beomgyu makes no effort in chasing them after that.

Taehyun didn't see what they were doing as his back was facing them. but he knew that Beomgyu wouldn't let that go so easily.

"Why did you come back, Kai?" Taehyun asked when he walked out of the cafeteria. They were now walking to their classes that coincidentally were right next to each other.

"I came back to ask if you knew Soobin hyung was Jin biase- but that's not the point! are you really going to pick a fight with him whenever we're not around, Taehyun? do you know how insane you are?" he asked, and Taehyun rolled his eyes playfully.

"It's Taehyun _hyun_ g," he stated, "And like I said. He's all bark, no bite,"

"Taehyun _hyung,_ my best friend, my neighbour, my _suuuuuuper_ awesome hyung who always aces every test he takes, with all do respect, are you stupid?" Kai asked, stopping him in the middle of the hallway and looking down at him.

Taehyun hates being shorter. Kai was a naive, younger boy but whenever he took advantage of his height and Taehyun had to crane his neck to look up, he always felt like the younger one.

"Don't call me stupid when you can't even memorise your multiples of twelve," Taehyun mutters under his breath.

"Yah! I can, I'm just slow!" he defends himself, pouting, "but serious talk, hyung. He was going to punch you if I didn't come and save you. you owe me!"

"No one asked you to save me, smart guy," Taehyun said, starting to walk again. The younger follows behind him, catching up.

"Hey, hey! what about tteokbokki and grape juice? just that! After school?" He asked, throwing in the puppy eyes. God, Taehyun hates when he does that.

"Aish, fine fine," he waves his hands, "Your so annoying. You're acting like you weren't trembling in fear five minutes ago,"

"YAY!" Kai cheers, ignoring Taehyun's last statement, "I'll meet you at the front gates after school, okay? no takesies backsies!" he says in his overly high pitched 'cute' voice. "See you later, hyung!"

Taehyun sighs as he watches the boy skip into his math class with a smile, greeting everyone he meets. How did he get such a silly best friend like him.

Taehyun opens the door and walks into his music class.


	5. Chapter 5

music was always Taehyun's favourite class. He loved to sing, he loved to write, he loved to play instruments.

Taehyun sat by the window during music class, and he always enjoyed looking out. His seat mate was the silent type. he never had a serious conversation with him. Heck, Taehyun doesn't even know his name.

His seat mate was already early, sitting by his table, his nose buried in his book. Glasses at the tip of his nose. Looking up, he merely nods to greet Taehyun.

Taehyun seated himself by the window seat, and not long after, his music teacher came in.

Mr. Min was what he wanted his students to call him. He had gray hair that he dyes occasionally and was shorter than the other teachers. He plays piano like he was gifted with the skill, and at first glance he seems strict and scary, but in reality, he was just a soft and caring teacher.

They don't know if it's a secret but half of the school also knows that Mr. Min is dating the dance teacher, Mr. Jung. Or, as he wants his students to call him, Hoseok. An informal way, but Hoseok was never one for formalities anyway. Yeonjun took his class, and had told stories on how Hoseok teaches the class really seriously, despite looking cheerful. Dance was his passion.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Min says, "Before we start the lesson today, I'm sure most of you know already that someone from the art class had just moved to music, and today he's entering the class,"

What?

Murmurs filled the room. Mr. Min had made it clear that 'most of you know already', but Taehyun had only heard of it now.

it was the middle of the school year, who would change their classes so suddenly?

"Quiet down, now," Mr. Min says, "Now, come in. Everyone, meet Choi Beomgyu,"

Taehyun felt his world freeze, his hands curling into fists in his lap.

oh fuck _no_

The raven haired male walked in, his hands in his pockets as he scans the room. Some students gasped at the mention of his name.

Taehyun's seat mate visibly shook, his hands trembling and his knees bounced. He was muttering to himself now.

"No... no no... not him.." Taehyun's unnamed seat mate kept saying. and it made Taehyun wonder if Beomgyu had done something to him, or to any of the students that had fear in their eyes just by the mention of his name.

"Beomgyu, introduce yourself," Mr. Min says. Clearly not noticing the student's reaction to Beomgyu.

"Yeah, I'm sure they know who I am already," Beomgyu says, and his eyes land on Taehyun.

Taehyun feels a shiver run down his spine.

"Alright, then. Take a seat," Mr. Min says. And Beomgyu wasted no time into walking down right towards Taehyun's desk.

_no,_ Taehyun thought, _why the fuck is he coming this way?!_

Taehyun could see that his seat mate was having a worse time than him. he seemed to be sweating, thinking Beomgyu must be there for him.

When Beomgyu arrived, all eyes were on him.

"Move," Beomgyu says to Taehyun's unnamed seat mate. And he wasted no time in doing just that. He grabbed all of his stuff without worrying if his book would tear, and immideately moved away.

Taehyun looks at the corner of his eyes that his seat mate moved towards the very back, where no one was. he slumped and released a sigh of relief.

Beomgyu threw his bag down by the side of the table, and he sits on the chair. an arm slung at the back of it. He does not spare a glance at Taehyun.

_what is this guy's problem?!_

"Alright, class," Mr. Min says, calling everyone's attention, "Before I start today's lesson, I want to tell everyone that I have a project in mind for all of you, a partnered project,"

Taehyun zones out whatever Mr. Min was saying. He was too focused on looking at Beomgyu at the corner of his eyes.

why the hell does he look so calm?

"I want you to create a whole song based on a certain genre I give you. The criteria is simple, follow the genre, and the both of your voices has to be present. The instruments in the song also has to be an original piece," Mr. Min declares to the class, and half of the students gasped, "don't sound so surprised, come on. You're in music class, for God's sake. you should've expected this," he says, sounding dissapointed.

"Listen up, I've already decided your partners before any of you can," Mr. Kim reads out, and that's when Taehyun turns his attention back to his teacher.

_please,_ Taehyun silently begs, _please don't make this a cliché scene and pair me with Beomgyu. I'm begging you._

"Choi Jisu and Shin Ryujin," Mr. Min starts reading out from his clipboard, and the two girls up front squealed happily, high-fiving each other.

"John Jun Suh and Lee Taeyong," Mr. Min continues, "Bang Christopher Chan with Lee Minho, Cho Jinho with Kang Hyung-gu.. Hirai Momo with Kim Heechul.. Kang Daniel with Park Jihyo and.. ah, lastly, Kang Taehyun with-"

_shit_

"The new kid, Choi Beomgyu."

_fucking shit._

"Alright, it's due by the end of summer break, anyone that has a problem with their partners, feel free to see me during lunch," Mr. Min says, "and the genre's of your songs are all going to be different, so I want you to choose from this," he reaches down and pulls out a transparent box that contained folded papers, no doubt the genre of the song written inside.

Mr. Min walks around the class and hands the box to each student, making them choose.

Beomgyu didn't even discuss with Taehyun on who'd be taking the papers, he had instantly went and dipped his hands into the box an pulled out a paper without hesitation.

Instead of opening it, he throws it to Taehyun, "open it, nerd,"

Taehyun suppressed his urge to roll his eyes and opens the paper.

_Romanc_ e it read. with big, bold, comic sans font twenty letters.

"Well?" Beomgyu spat, "Are you gonna tell me or will you keep gaping at it like some ugly fish?"

Taehyun felt his eye twitch, and he shoves the paper to Beomgyu.

Beomgyu reads, and sighs.

"What a fucking migraine,"


	6. Chapter 6

Music class went by in a blur. Mr. Min was just recapping on the last few lessons, so there wasn't a lot to miss out on anyway. Taehyun was a smart student.

Choi Beomgyu had his chin resting on his hand as he listened to what Mr. Min was saying, a bored expression on his face. If he knew Taehyun was staring at him he'd never live it down, so Taehyun decided to turn back to the teacher.

Taehyun was worried.

he had never gotten anything less than a B on any project, but he was so sure that if Beomgyu won't cooperate, he'd end up with a solid F on this one.

_why, out of all students, must it be Choi fucking Beomgy_ u, Taehyun thinks, _as if my life isn't fucked up enough by him._

Taehyun had wasted the whole hour of class worrying about the thought that he didn't realize class had ended already.

Beomgyu was nowhere to be seen, and Taehyun released a sigh. Thank God.

Taehyun took his bag from his chair and slung it over his shoulder, but before he could walk out, he was stopped by his teacher.

"Taehyun," Mr. Min calls out when there was no one left, "You weren't paying attention throughout my lesson, were you?"

Taehyun feels embarrassed. The teachers knew what a smart kid he was, so he felt ashamed to be caught not listening to class. Taehyun nods weakly.

"What is worrying you, kid?" Mr. Min asked, and Taehyun contemplates whether he should tell the fact that he _fucking despises_ his partner, or not.

"Mr. Min, I-"

"Cut the formalities, just call me Yoongi," Mr. Min said, and Taehyun bites his lip.  
  


"Y-Yoongi.. ssi," Taehyun started, feeling awkward at first, but decided to shrug it off when Mr. Min didn't give a bad reaction to it, "I- my music partner, uh, Choi B-"

"Ah," Yoongi said, "I see where this is going already," he says, grabbing his files, "You don't want to be paired with Choi Beomgyu, I see?"

Taehyun nods.

"Taehyun," Yoongi says, "Honestly, I wanted to pair you up with Ryujin, but then this kid came along and visited me during lunchtime yesterday,"

"Can I tell you a secret?" Yoongi asked, "To make him feel welcome, I decided to show him the list of names and tell him he can choose whichever partner he wanted. He chose your name, Taehyun,"

Taehyun froze, and Yoongi had chuckled. He stood up and started to pack his things.

"You're a smart kid, I know that," Yoongi said, grabbing his papers, "I know his... reputation. And I believe you can handle him, Taehyun,"

"You have six months 'till it needs to get submitted, anyway, so best of luck," Yoongi says, patting Taehyun's shoulder.

Taehyun was now conflicted.

_why did he choose me, out of everyone else?_

Taehyun thought for a moment, but then he came to a realization.

_He wants to make my life worse, doesn't he?_


	7. Chapter 7

After music, Taehyun had left to go to his last class, math. Taehyun liked math. unlike what his friends say, he finds maths easy and fun to do (as long as he knew how to do it)

Soobin usually complains about how math is useless. ("why learn math when you have a calculator already?" He argues all the time) but Taehyun never minded the class. his teacher, Miss Jieun, made studying math a lot more fun.

the bell rang and that had meant class ended. Miss Jieun thanked the class, reminding them to pass up homework before they left. Some students groaned. Taehyun, being the good student he was, passes up his work.

Taehyun left the class with a smile. Finally, school had ended.

He plans to go straight to Huening Kai's last class, Chemistry, and pick him up so they could go get tteokbokki together as he promised. Taehyun reached into his pocket to take out his phone.

his phone wasn't there.

Taehyun froze in the hallways in between the busy students, and a few bumped into him. He didn't even manage to utter an apology before he ran back to his math class, trying to see if he forgot his phone there.

"Taehyun ah? what are you doing coming back here?" Miss Jieun asked, and Taehyun ran back to his seat at the front row and checked underneath it.

His phone wasn't there.

"Miss Jieun, have you seen my phone?" Taehyun asked anxiously, and Miss Jieun thought for a moment.

"No. Why? did you lose it?" She asked, as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world already, "You should check the lost and found, Taehyun ah. When did you lose it?"

"I don't remember," Taehyun panics, "It was with me this morning,"

"Calm down, you'll find it," his math teacher reassured, "Traceback your steps, what class did you have before this?"

Taehyun thought for a moment, then his head turned to her with a more alarming look.

"Music," Taehyun breathed out, and he grit his teeth, "Choi _Beomgyu_ ,"

Without any more words, Taehyun grabbed his bag and ran out of the classroom, leaving his teacher confused.

"Boys these days," she sighed, chuckling at the end of it.

Taehyun was panicking as he ran across the school. He should've known. He should've been worried when Beomgyu left without another word.

that fucking bastard.

Taehyun had no idea what Beomgyu's last class was, and he was worried that Huening Kai might think he forgot the tteokbokki promise, so Taehyun, with not much of a choice, opted to go to Kai's locker to write him a note first.

but when he got there, he hadn't expected the locker to be rattling, and sobs coming from the inside.

"Please... p-please... let me out of here... i-it's dark.. please!" a familiar voice said from inside, and Taehyun immediately knew who it was.

"Kai?!" Taehyun asked, his hands grabbing the locker doors. it was locked, "what are you-"

"Hyung! Taehyun hyung, g-get me out- get me out of here please!" the choked sobs coming from the younger was enough to make Taehyun snap into his senses, he carelessly reached into his bag and pulled out a hairpin.

His sister's hairpin. Taehyun always carried it everywhere, in case he forgot the keys to his locker (which happens a lot of the time)

"Calm down, Kai ah, hyung will get you out," Taehyun said in a calming tone, trying to stop the younger from crying. Once the lock was opened, Kai fell through the doors, and immediately Taehyun pulled him in a hug.

"H-Hyun-g h-he- loc-locked me i-in the- i-it was s-so dar-k a-and-"

"shh, shh, its okay, Kai, your okay now," Taehyun tried to calm down the younger, "breathe, I can't understand you,"

Huening Kai sniffled. The younger was taller than Taehyun, and he hid his red face in the older's neck, breathing slowly to steady his racing heart.

"I-I was waiting outside of the Chemistry lab for you a-and I got a text from you saying to m-meet at my locker. w-when I arrived, s-someone pushed me inside a-and locked me. I-I was so scared, hyung, I thought I-I'd be stuck T-till morning.." the kid said in a single breath, Taehyun pushes off him for a moment and looks into his eyes.

Taehyun's gaze held fury

"I didn't have my phone with me, Kai ah, it wasn't me who texted you," Taehyun said, wiping the corner of the boy's eyes, "did you see who pushed you?"

Kai nodded, silently wiping his chin that had tears trailing down them with his wrist.

"B-Beom-"

" _Beomgyu_ " Taehyun finished the sentence for him, jaw tense and fist clenched.


	8. Chapter 8

it was dark, school had ended hours ago but Taehyun didn't want to leave Kai alone. Kai's parents worked somewhere far, so they always returned at night, and Taehyun's parents were always cool with him roaming out. They knew Taehyun was a smart kid.

Taehyun and Kai, in their uniforms, walked through the bustling city life in Seoul, enjoying ice cream together. Taehyun had tried to take the poor kid's mind off the fact that he was shoved into a locker and could've 'died from suffocation', as Kai claims. Taehyun rolls his eyes at that.

"Let's stop by the cat café before heading home, hyung!" Kai said happily, now in a much better mood.

"It's almost 8 pm, Kai. isn't your curfew at 8.30?" Taehyun asked.

"Yeah, so we better be quick!" Kai said, grabbing Taehyun's hand and running to the café. it wasn't a long way, but there were a lot of people. it was a Friday night and most people were out to night clubs and have fun with their friends, so it wasn't a mystery why it was filled.

the moonlight fell on a small cat café, the sign of a cute kitty cat glowing on top. there weren't a lot of people inside, so Kai pushed the door open and went in, dragging poor Taehyun along.

"Wah, look at these!! they're so cute, oh my god!" The youngest immediately ran towards the corner where the cats were, as if he was familiar with them all, "Cuties!"

Taehyun stood there awkwardly. it was as if he was babysitting Kai. He decided to sit down at a table and order a drink. He turned towards the counter to call for a waiter.

His eyes landed on familiar raven hair, and Taehyun swore he felt his heart stop. In shock, and confusion.

There, behind the counter, was none other than Choi Beomgyu. He was wearing a blue apron that matches the aesthetic of the cafe, and he had a smile as he was rubbing the stomach of one of the cats that climbed onto the counter.

he was smiling.

Beomgyu looked up as if feeling someone looking at him. And his eyes landed on none other than Kang Taehyun.

it was as if time had frozen when their eyes met. He could read the confusion in Taehyun's eyes.

And Taehyun immediately looked away, standing up.

"Ning, let's go," Taehyun said, and Kai turned to him, about to protest, but one look from Taehyun's eyes had told him to not fight back his hyung's words.

"Okay-?" Kai said, not understanding what made Taehyun act like this. He gave one last kiss to the cat he played with and stood to join Taehyun outside.

"What's wrong, Hyun? you look like you seen a ghost!" the younger teased, but a hint of worry in his voice.

Taehyun didn't want to scare him by saying that he might have seen the person who stuffed him in a locker smiling behind the counter of the cat cafe. So he opted to shrug, and simply answer that makes Huening Kai furrow his eyebrows in extreme confusion.

"I hate cats,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hobak : ok fuck you


	9. Chapter 9

what the _fuck_

these three words were running through the orange-haired boy's brain. he lay there like a starfish on his bed. The alarm by his bedside read 11:47 pm. Taehyun layed, looking up at the ceiling and going through the activities that he did hours ago.

The one thought that stood out from the rest was the fact that he met Choi Beomgyu.

The raven-haired boy was behind the counter of the cat café Huening Kai took him to. He was wearing an apron and he was smiling.

_he can smile after all._

it would only make sense that Beomgyu worked there. Taehyun shouldn't have been as shocked as he was now. Some students his age works. it's normal. but why did he feel weird when he saw Beomgyu?

could it be the smile he wore while petting the cat?

Taehyun had never seen Beomgyu smile like that. Like he didn't just stuff Kai into a locker just in the morning.

Taehyun clenched his fist. The bastard stuffed Kai into a locker. A fucking _locker._ The next day was Friday. If Taehyun had gone straight home...

he shuddered. he didn't even want to think about it. What was Beomgyu even thinking?

his mind raced with more thoughts.

his phone. Choi Beomgyu has his phone.

Taehyun's phone wasn't password protected. He had never thought he needed one because he never thought anyone would want to steal from a high school boy like him.

But boy, he was wrong.

There wasn't anything particularly embarrassing or worth a lot of money on Taehyun's phone. He didn't take pictures of his own nudes or have a stack of porn hidden in his gallery like some people his age had.

he had a laptop after all but hey that's beside the point-

the phone numbers in Taehyun's phone were just his friends and family. he didn't save anything else in there so he wasn't really worried about Beomgyu coming to steal something from him or blackmail him.

but now that meant Taehyun didn't have any form of communication, and he had plans to go out with his friends the next day.

"He's so fucking frustrating," Taehyun sighs, turning to lay on his stomach and open his laptop that was by the foot of his bed.

"Who is?" a voice came. and Taehyun quickly shut his laptop and turned around. There stood his older sister Hyerin, "And why are you cursing?"

"T-That's none of your business," Taehyun said, "Shouldn't you be asleep? you said you had a meeting tomorrow for a project!" Taehyun said, throwing a pillow to the door. It didn't even come near her.

"Yeah, yeah," Hyerin said, "I just overheard you cursing. You never cursed before," she said, "I'm impressed my baby brother knows what a swear word is,"

"I'm 18," he said, "get out!"

Hyerin merely stuck her tongue out and walked away.

"Hyerin shut the door!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dunno what his sister's name is, so bare w me!!


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm going out, mom! I'll be back soon!" Taehyun says as he pulls his shoes on hastily. He opens the door and walks out.

it was nine in the morning. Taehyun had his hang out with Yeonjun, Soobin, and Kai at 2 pm but Taehyun had left early to settle one thing.

getting his phone back.

Taehyun was aware that he had no idea what shift Beomgyu was working (assuming Taehyun wasn't hallucinating and yes, the person he saw that night was Choi Beomgyu)

but Taehyun was determined to at least try. He missed scrolling through social media on his phone instead of his computer. And he was worried if Beomgyu would pull another cruel text as he did with Kai and shoving him into his locker.

The poor boy was traumatized by it already.

Taehyun was also worried about Beomgyu reading his messages. He realized he hadn't told Kai or anyone else that he had his phone stolen and he was afraid if any of them texted something important and Beomgyu might have read it.

Taehyun hopes not.

He reached the cat café he went to last night and stood there outside for a couple of minutes. taking it all in.

there were a lot of people now, probably to get breakfast. bikes were aligning the front of the store and students working on projects had their laptops out, cats on their laps like a de-stress toy. Taehyun notes that this café was really popular.

Taehyun walked into the café and the small bell rang, signaling someone entering. He walks to the counter with no hesitation. Taehyun was confident. He wasn't always confident, but he was now.

Now that Taehyun knew Beomgyu probably lived some double life, he knew he could use that against him. he was determined to get his phone back.

"Hello, welcome to Star Café! what can I get you?" the employee asked once Taehyun was at the register. Taehyun noticed that he wasn't Beomgyu. He was blonde, and he had a huge smile etched on his face. He looked like a baby. Taehyun glances at his name tag. _Jisung;_ it read.

"Does Choi Beomgyu work here?" Taehyun asked suddenly, and the cashier looks taken aback at the sudden question. He probably never heard of a customer asking for another employee in his years of working.

"Yes... he's grinding coffee beans right now... why?" Jisung asked, his tone clueless, "Do you want him as your cashier instead..?"

"Yes, please," Taehyun said. And Jisung shrugged, stepping back.

"Hey, Beomgyu! handle the register for a sec!" Jisung called out, and from over his shoulder, Taehyun saw the raven.

Beomgyu turned around, he hadn't seemed to see Taehyun yet. Taehyun saw him smile, wiping sweat off his forehead as he takes off his apron, shaking his hands to stretch them, "Yeah? finally! I've been grinding these for hours!" Beomgyu said with a bright smile, wiping his hands onto his jeans.

remember when Taehyun was confident? Well, now he wasn't.

Taehyun felt his palms sweat. Yes, that was Choi Beomgyu. The same Choi Beomgyu who stuck his foot out and made Taehyun trip and spill his milk over his notes a day ago. The same Beomgyu who stole his phone, and scared a student out of his seat.

The Beomgyu who was smiling happily, teeth all showing as he ground coffee beans, was the same Beomgyu who had scarred Taehyun for life all those years ago. Who had his 'gang' chokehold him just so he could punch him if it weren't for Kai to stop him.

Taehyun felt his heart rate quicken when Beomgyu walked up to the register, his eyes on his hands that he was stretching. Beomgyu hasn't seen Taehyun yet.

"Welcome to Star Café, what-" Beomgyu looked up and met Taehyun's eyes. And Taehyun swore he saw a hint of anxiety in Beomgyu's eyes when they met.

"-would it be today, s-sir?" Beomgyu continued. There was a line behind them, after all. Beomgyu bit his lip when he stuttered. His fist clenched at his sides.

Taehyun couldn't just demand his phone and an explanation right then and there, so he scanned through the menu with awkward eyes.

"Regular-sized caramel macchiato?" Taehyun asked, his voice wavering. Beomgyu quickly types it down and he presses the register.

"That would be $4.50," he said as he outstretched his arms, Taehyun hands him the money and Beomgyu returns with a receipt.

_God, this is so awkward._

"Thank you," Taehyun says quietly, and proceeded to walk over and find a quiet seat. when he finally arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief.

That was _weird_.


	11. Chapter 11

Taehyun was conflicted.

He was tapping to an unknown rhythm on the wooden table he sat at. He had the script all in his head when he had arrived

but now his mind feels blank like he was still trying to convince himself that, yes, the person who was standing there behind the counter, happily grinding coffee beans, was none other than the infamous Choi Beomgyu himself.

if Taehyun didn't know him, the smile Beomgyu had did not give the fact that he was a bully. if Taehyun didn't know him, he would never have guessed such a happy person like him shoves people in lockers and steals lunch money off freshmen.

Taehyun's eyes scanned the place, his leg bouncing.

the café was small and quaint, the aesthetic of it matching somewhat of a soft concept. The area for the cats was in the middle, where they could roam as they please. The carpeting was light brown and it was soft, but Taehyun knew it was probably covered in cat fur.

the walls were a solid beige with plants potted on the corners and paintings of single-line drawings and quotes adorning the walls. the tables were smooth white and round in different shapes, the ones with four chairs larger than the ones with only one chair to accommodate the number of people there.

Taehyun could see why the place was popular. it had a beautiful interior.

the small chalk sign that read, _free WiFi, meow!_ at the front was also probably one of the reasons. it was a place to destress for students like him.

He saw Beomgyu approach his table, and he started to feel nervous.

_"where is my phone?"_ no, no. Taehyun shouldn't start with that..., " _how was the shift last night?"_ That's even worse.

Instead of saying the usual, _'here's your order_ ', like, you know, any employee should, Beomgyu just slams the coffee cup down onto his table, rattling it and spilling a little over.

the people didn't even realize what was going on because Taehyun had chosen to sit by the only empty areas, the back where the plants had covered them.

" _Kang,"_ Beomgyu hissed, it was obvious how he was holding in his anger. but something else was evident on his face.

he was red, Beomgyu was embarrassed.for whatever reason Taehyun didn't know.

was he embarrassed that he was caught being soft outside of school like this? a worker of a cat café, out of all places?

what did Beomgyu want to plant in Taehyun's head? that he was a bad boy in school? does he think Taehyun seeing him working here makes him think he's suddenly a good guy now?

Taehyun was confused on the raven's intentions.

"where is it?" Taehyun suddenly asked up at the working male. _Great,_ _what a good way to start,_ Taehyun says sarcastically to himself in regret.

he knew Beomgyu wouldn't attempt (unless he's stupid, which Taehyun kind of should consider) to hurt him when he was still in his work uniform. If Beomgyu was working for money, he wouldn't ever risk getting fired.

"Don't fucking talk to me," Beomgyu hisses, his voice deep and unfamiliar, the sweet, smiling Beomgyu who was behind the counter was now replaced with the Beomgyu he knew at school. And Taehyun has no idea why he was acting like this all of a sudden.

did Beomgyu have that of an immature grudge on him? so much that he'd take it outside of school?

"What is wrong with you? I just want my phone back!" Taehyun was now starting to get agitated. He was getting on the younger's nerve, pushing his limits.

"I dont have your stupid phone," Beomgyu replies harshly in a low mumble, wanting to walk away, "stop making a scene,"

But Taehyun quickly grabs onto the older's hand, and Beomgyu whips around with a scowl.

" _I'm_ making a scene? you slammed my coffee in my table!" Taehyun stood, his patience wearing thin. Beomgyu's eyes flashed in what seemed to be mild irritation, "Why are you acting like this? so _suddenly_?"

"Why?! because _fuck you_ , that's why!" Beomgyu suddenly says out loud, his calm demeanor now breaking as his hand went down to swipe at the coffee on Taehyun's table.

The coffee hits his hand, and it falls down and onto the floor, droplets seeping into Taehyun's skinny jeans.

"Shit," Taehyun curses, grabbing a tissue and dabbing it onto his jeans as he heard muffled voices come from behind. He saw people starting to crowd around them, and he heard a voice calling from behind.

" _CHOI BEOMGYU_!"

it did not sound pleased at all.


	12. Chapter 12

"And then what?" Soobin asked, his eyes in wonder as he looked at Taehyun who was telling the story of what happened to him in the morning.

"He got fired," Taehyun ends the story with that, he leans onto his chair and folds his arms. He observes the faces of his best friends and he saw that they each had different reactions.

"Serves him right!" Kai said happily, munching on his third slice of strawberry cake. Thankfully, after the whole fiasco at Star Café, Taehyun managed to get not only a free drink from the manager but also had enough time to change his clothes before his hangout with his friends at a different café.

His mother asked him why he was home early and he merely answered that he had spilled coffee on himself, and his mother let it slide.

"Damn... that's.. kinda insane," Yeonjun said, his lips pouted, showing how plump and pretty his lips were, "he sounds crazy, how could his emotions change so fast like that? he escalated really quickly,"

"it's probably because of Taehyun," Kai laughs, "Beomgyu targets a lot of students, but for some reason, it's always Taehyun who he keeps picking on... do you think?"

Taehyun saw the glint in Kai's eyes. the glint that he saw whenever the younger talks about a romance anime he likes, "Oh no. This isn't some cliché sob story where the supposedly 'bad boy' bullies someone they like. Come on, I'm pretty sure he isn't even gay," Taehyun said, shrugging, "Plus, I'm not even the least bit intimidated by him, he's all-"

"bark, no bite, we know," Soobin says with a playful eye roll, "but what about your phone now? how are you gonna text us, smart guy? are you gonna send letters like we're in the '80s?"

Taehyun thinks for a moment, "I'll try to see him tomorrow again,"

"Yah, are you crazy? where will you find him anyway, he's fired," Yeonjun says as he takes a sip from his iced matcha, "Oh man, that means he'll hate you more," Yeonjun laughs, covering his mouth and slapping Soobin's thigh next to him.

"Hey! ouch?" Soobin pushes the older's hand off, "but Yeonjun hyung has a point, Taehyunie," Soobin says, turning to the younger.

"Just ignore him in school," Kai says, "Simple!"

"not simple," Taehyun says under his breath, poking at his pancakes now, losing his appetite slowly, "He's... my music partner. We're supposed to make a song together an-"

"Woah Woah Woah, hold up! did you say music? Beomgyu is an art student, though," Kai says, dropping his fork, now invested in the conversation.

"He switched," Taehyun shrugged, "As I was sa-"

"He _wha_ t?!" Soobin interrupted me with a shocked expression, "In the middle of the year?!"

"But he's a prodigy! I've seen his drawings in the teacher's lounge being hung, why would he change so suddenly like that?!" Kai says, continuing Soobin.

"He probably has his reasons, come on I want to know the rest of Taehyun's story," Yeonjun whines, pushing Kai and Soobin - who was sitting on his left and right- back into their seats, "Please continue, Taehyun ah,"

"Thank you Yeonjun hyung," Taehyun says, glaring at the two who interrupted him, "As I was saying, we need to make a song and present it after summer break,"

"damn," Yeonjun says, "that sucks, dude. have you tried to change partners? you could at least try!"

"tried," Taehyun says with a sad pout, "But Mr. Min said..." Taehyun suddenly thinks, and he furrows his eyebrows at the thought, "... huh,"

"what is Taehyunnie thinking?" Huening Kai asked in a cute voice as he pokes Taehyun's cheek, making Soobin laugh and Yeonjun to cringe.

"He said Beomgyu chose me," Taehyun said, pushing Kai's finger away from touching his face (which caused the younger to pout), "He said to welcome him into the class, Mr. Min had him chose a name to partner up from the list, and he chose me.."

"Oh my god," Kai says with a gasp, "This is just like a kdrama! the bully falls in l-"

"I told you it's not a _kdrama,"_ Taehyun glares down at the boy, but Kai only giggled in return.

"But how do you know he doesn't like you anyway?" Soobin asked, "I mean, have you _seen_ the kdrama 'Extraordinary You'?"

"..Yeah?" Taehyun asked in reply, "What does this have to do with that, though?"

Soobin slams his hand lightly as if offended at Taehyun's answer, "Baek Kyung spent like, what? years hating on his fiancé and in the end he turned out to love her!" Soobin says, clutching his heart afterward, "But Dan Oh fell for the nameless 13 Haru, what a tragic ending for Baek Kyung," he sighs sadly.

Yeonjun and Kai, who never seen the kdrama, looks at Soobin weirdly.

"The only useful thing I got from that is don't be a dick and hate your fiancé for years," Yeonjun says, looking at Soobin who was leaning on his side, faking a pass out.

"Uh, unrelated?" Kai said, "This is Choi Beomgyu, we're talking about here!"

"Thank you, Kai," Taehyun said, thinking the younger finally understands him.

"He has to do it in a waaaay less romantic way!" Kai suddenly said, and Taehyun felt his eye twitch.

"Can we not talk about this?" Taehyun says, irritated, and his friends only laugh. Yeonjun patting Taehyun's shoulder. 

"Okay, fine then, let's see what happens to you in a few days, smart guy,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> extraordinary you is amazing fite me


	13. Chapter 13

the next day, Sunday, Taehyun woke up at 10 am and lazed in bed after his shower until 5, scrolling through Tumblr blogs on his laptop in bed, headphones on his head blasting Justin Beiber music.

he had decided to catch up with some extra work that he never managed to finish. Without his phone, he was unable to message any of his friends. usually on days like this, he would receive a bunch of texts from Kai saying how he wanted to meet and have ice cream at the park and it always ends with Taehyun paying

how could he not when Kai keeps talking in those high pitched voices

so thankfully, today, Taehyun could kick back and relax without his phone constantly blowing up with the youngest's texts. not that he didn't like it, it's just the fact that sometimes he never gets his work done when he has too much fun with his friends.

he had decided to continue watching a YouTube video, that was until Hyerin yanked the headphones off his head and looked down at him with her hands on her hips.

"What the h-" Taehyun looked up, about to start an argument with his sister for disrupting his peaceful Sunday. but she only jumped and flopped on his bed next to him, putting his headphones on her head

"Hyerin, oh my god," Taehyun whispered under his breath, and his sister replied with a giggle.

"Dad's coming home tonight," She said, "Mom wants us showered and ready for dinner right now,"

"Are we going out?" Taehyun asked.

Hyerin shook her head, "No, mom is preparing dinner, dummy,"

"He isn't supposed to be home until- until next month, though.." Taehyun trailed off, highly suspicious.

Taehyun's father- Kang Taeri, or better known as Doctor Kang- was a well known and skillful doctor in Seoul, he was the main reason why they had to move to Seoul in the first place. But the hospital he worked at was always busy as it was the most popular one in South Korea so Taehyun's father had rented an apartment nearby so he could always be on time for on calls.

Taehyun's father was close to his family, he was Taehyun's hero. Despite him being gone for months just because of his job, he always knew to come back and spend quality time with Taehyun and his sister. Often days he stays here for weeks. But Taehyun and his family understood that there were more people out there who needed his dad more than they do.

"He said he was given a few days off," Hyerin said, sitting in the bed placing a hand on her baby brother's shoulder, "let's clean up and help mom, yeah? oh and stop listening to Justin Beiber so much, aren't you tired of listening to 'yummy' on repeat? God, Taehyun ah, you're a music student,"

Taehyun only pushed his sister off the bed, pointing to the door, "Just leave already," and she sticks her tongue out, leaving.

Taehyun sits on the bed for a while and stares at his gray walls, his eyes trailing to the window where the curtains were slightly drawn and the golden hours of sunlight spilled through as if settled, the view from his window is the tall buildings of Seoul and houses above the hills. There was a small playground just a walking distance from his house and the sound of happy children playing on their bikes was heard from his room.

"Taehyun ah!" the voice of his sister sounded through the thin walls, and Taheyun shouts back as he grabbed his towel

"Yeah, yeah, stop pestering me!

.

The smell of the cooking when Taehyun walked down the stairs in his hoodie after the shower was mouth-watering. Taehyun feels blessed to have a mother who was so skillful in cooking dishes that both smell and taste amazing.

wordlessly, Taehyun grabs the plates from the drawer and starts to set them on the table. his mother smiles lightly at the action her son did.

"When is dad coming home?" Taehyun asked, his eyes still looking at the way the plate reflects the light above their dinner table.

"Almost here, probably," Taehyun's mother replied. Her tone a little higher, like she was excited. she probably was. he was her husband, after all.

Taehyun sometimes wonders what it's like to be in love.

When Taehyun finished setting the table, he sat by the couch in the living room, staring at the blank TV mounted on the wall with a sigh. his reflection stared back at him.

"You excited to see dad too, Hobak?" Taehyun asked his cat that decided to join him by jumping on his lap, the brown-haired boy reaching out to trace his finger into the cat's fur, "I thought he would be busy at this time...I can't believe he'd come home so suddenly.."

the cat only meowed in response, as it could only do. Taehyun sighs deeply, and at that moment, his sister calls out

"Taehyun ah, dad is here,"

.

Hyerin and Taehyun on one side and Taehyun's mother in front of his sister, in front of Taehyun, was in front of the man himself. The dinner table was filled with light banter, laughter, and questions.

"Why did you come home so early, dad?" Hyerin asked, slicing up the potatoes on her plate.

"One of my regular patients just came back into the ward, they've been stubbornly holding back on medication these days and it's giving me a headache," Taehyun's father said, "If he dies because of it I'll be the one to blame, I'm his doctor for almost a decade now, I'm worried for him,"

Taehyun couldn't help but flinch at how normally his father said 'if he dies because of it,' as if it happens every day. as if dying in a painful, agonizing way, hooked with tubes and beeping electronics was a normal thing everyone went through. As if dying naturally isn't a choice for anyone admitted there anymore.

in a way, it was. but it wasn't a pleasant one to be a topic talked about over family dinner.

Taehyun's thoughts wandered as to why he'd return home just because of a reason like that. wouldn't he want to stay at the hospital? to make sure his patient is alright?  
  


and then, Taehyun thinks, maybe he's doing it to escape for a while.

"How is school, Taehyun?" the voice of his father sounded, and Taehyun stopped spacing out at the sudden change of tone. Taehyun nearly drops his fork.

"Fine," he replies simply.

"Have you changed your subjects yet?"

and there it is. there was the golden question Taehyun had been asked countless of times by him. now Taehyun remembers the single reason he hates and always tries to avoid when his father returns.

"No," Taehyun said, eyes on his food, "I'm still studying music, and I'm not changing anytime soon," he felt his sister tense up at his side.

Taehyun's school adopted a system where they were given options for an extra subject to be slotted in their timetable every day. the extra subject would be extremely beneficial for the career path students would join in the future, and Taehyun chose his to be music. Taehyun wanted to be a singer.

But his father wanted him to choose Chemistry. his father wanted his son to become a doctor just like him. his father pressed and forced and pressed again and again for Taehyun to join Chemistry, or any science subject just so Taehyun had an opening to be exposed in the medical field,

but Taehyun doesn't want to work in the medical field.

and that's when his father probably found out that Taehyun wasn't going to change any time soon.

"ah," his father spoke, pausing, "Okay, then,"

an awkward silence followed suit, and then his sister declares.

"let's play games tonight!" she said, attempting to get rid of the awkward silence

"I have sch-"

"I said, let's play games, period," she said, turning to Taehyun with one of her 'older sister' glares

Taehyun shrinks. he hates his sister sometimes.


	14. Chapter 14

"Taehyun hyuuuuuung!"

Taehyun groans when he heard the all-too-cheery voice of Kai on a Monday morning. How does that kid manage to stay so happy everyday? it was such a mystery how he always could crack a smile on the worst day of the week.

"Hello, Kai," Taehyun smiles back to the youngest, and Kai looks at the shorter with a pout as he grips on the straps of his bag, pouting.

"You look tired, hyung," he said, reaching out one of his fingers and poking his hyung's cheek. Taehyun doesn't react to it as he just yawns.

"My dad came home last night and Hyerin offered a game night," Taehyun explained as they both walk through the entrance of the huge school together, squeezing in the people who were rushing and walking around them.

"Oh! that must be fun!" Kai beams, "My family does that a lot too, Lea is a cheater at all of the games and Bahi and I are basically rivals everytime," he rambles on, "Especially uno, we're really competitive on that game. Have y-"

"Sh," Taehyun says when they reached the end of the hallway where it was a bit more calm and silent. Taehyun quickly pulled Kai behind the corner by the handle of his backpack.

"Wha-"

"Its Beomgyu," Taehyun said in hushed tones, and that was enough to make Kai zip his mouth shut, his eyes widened at the name.

"W-why is he coming from this way? this leads to the teacher's lounge!" Kai whisper shouts- which doesn't really make a difference

Taehyun racks his brain on what to do because he only had two options here.

one, run and two, confront him for his phone back.  
  


option one seemed really appealing to him at that time, but just as he was about to make a run for it back into the opposite side where the students were crowded, the raven-haired male had already rounded the corner and Taehyun's shorter frame immediately headbutted the boy's chest.

"Ow- watch where yo-" Beomgyu's voice cut of, Taehyun flinched, prepared for a sudden shove or a punch from the older,

but nothing came.

he looked up to the boy he bumped into, and Beomgyu immediately turned around before they met eye contact. he quickly walked away before Taehyun could apologize.

".. Well that was super awkward," Kai said, thankfully helping diffuse the tension, "why did you run so suddenly like that? you knew he was around the corner, Tyunnie!"

"I.." Taehyun stared after where the raven older had walked away, "he didn't try to hurt me..?"

"he's probably afraid of you now that you helped him get fired," Huening Kai reminds, chirping beside him, "And his lackeys aren't with him! he's just as weak without them," the youngest dares to say, sticking his tongue out to the direction Beomgyu left.

"And you were crying about getting shoved in a locker the other day," Taehyun mumbles, continuing his walk with Kai, and the latter shoves the older lightly.

"Don't remind me, I'm claustrophobic!"

"that's a big word for someone like you," Taehyun snorts, arriving to his class.

"let's meet up after school again? you still haven't gotten me tteokbokki!" Kai said, standing outside his door, and Taehyun makes a shooing motion with his hands.

"yeah, yeah, see you," he smiles, walking into his classroom. 


	15. Chapter 15

_huh_

Taehyun was zoning out throughout his classes that day, his pen tapping unknown rhythms on his table as he stared on at the tall buildings outside of the window. all he was thinking the whole day was on why the raven-haired male who he had literally slammed into that morning had not attempted to break his bones or spit cuss words at the younger.

Taehyun was so deep into thinking that he didn't realize it was now the last period. music.

before he could stop himself, before he could excuse himself to run and probably hide in the bathroom until the two hour period ended to avoid a certain encounter with a raven, he was already sitting there. chin on his hand, and an open book in front of him, staring outside.

and before he knew it, Beomgyu had entered the class, immediately shushing everyone up on auto as he takes long confident strides to where he sat with Taehyun in the second row.

It was just silence after that. Taehyun tried not to react when his mind finally snapped into the fact that Beomgyu was now next to him. 

Thankfully, Mr. Min was early this time. (Which was rare, since he is kind of always late to every class)

but Taehyun should've known why he was early today.

"Good morning class," Mr. Min gave his usual introduction, "Today I want you all to start off with discussing the music project I gave all of you."

"What? this is so early!" A student said, and the class simultaneously agreed to that.

"I know it'll be hard, so that's why I want you to get used to working together starting from now. See it as a base, a rough sketch, if you visualize it," Mr. Min said, leaning on the edge of the table, his arms folded, "If you need any help or advice, I'm more than happy to help you. but I have to take care of a few things, so I'll be in my office just down the hall,"

a few students collectively sigh in relief. hearing how their teacher wouldn't be in class would give them a bit of freedom.

"Oh, one more thing," Mr. Min said, "Kang Taehyun, see me in my room after class?"

"Y-Yes sir," Taehyun said, back straightening when all eyes fell on him. All but Beomgyu's.

"Alright then, the discussion may start,"


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning : graphic descriptions of violence

When Mr. Min left the classroom, everyone started to go to their friends to chat. Taehyun was almost a hundred percent sure that they weren't even going to talk about the project.

Something Taehyun would do if his friends were actually in the class. But they weren't, and Taehyun hates socializing.

Beomgyu sat silently next to him, his head was staring at the opposite side of the class, Taehyun notes that he was looking at the group of people who were laughing and chattering together. Beomgyu had AirPods on and was silently tapping his head to the rhythm

Taehyun couldn't just sit there for two whole hours, embracing the awkward like a coward. Well, he could, actually. But he wanted a decent grade for this and he knew he couldn't do it alone considering the fact that the other male's vocals had to be in it too.

So Taehyun weighed his options.

Plan A, just put on his earbuds and listen to loud metal that he doesn't even like and hope that it'll distract him from satan incarnate who was next to him

Plan B, tap on his shoulder and apologize for suddenly ramming his face into his chest when they 'passed' in the hallways and explain how he just got lost because he forgot where the bathroom was and then hope Beomgyu doesn't turn Taehyun into his personal slave for it like in those Kdramas.

Plan C, shut his eyes and pray to God that a huge hole will swallow him right up so he doesn't have to feel the shame.

at first, plan C was looking promising to him, but after much consideration, Taehyun decided to go for the second one.

Besides, what was the worst that could happen? it wasn't like Beomgyu would throw him out the window right then and there, right?

Taehyun briefly glances at the window and looks down, noticing how there were some houses with sharp metal roofs and a car parked directly under the window. There were tall buildings beyond the horizon and a garden was below it too. Taehyun remembers that he was on the fourth floor.

he had second thoughts when he realizes this.

but he opted to talk to him anyway. He was Kang fuckin' Taehyun, for God's sake. he wasn't a wimp or anything. at least that was what he told himself.

So with the anxiety in his body that he tried to mask, he reaches to tap on Beomgyu's shoulder.

"What?" Beomgyu said way too quickly as if he was expecting it, moving away from the touch, "If you're going to talk about the music shit, I don't care,"

"I- wanted to apologize," Taehyun said, "I really didn't mean to slam into you this morning, I just got lost and- Kai was- and you were right there and then there was a .. locker and.." Taehyun blabbers, his eyes had trailed down but then he slowly looks up to meet the eyes of the older, "..your chest,"

"Your so pathetic," Beomgyu scoffed harshly, snapping his AirPod case shut.

"I got you fired yesterday, too," Taehyun said. And his mouth dropped open once it left his lips. He did _not_ mean to say that out loud.

Where was this confidence coming from?..

"Whatever," Beomgyu said after looking (and trying to hide, but failed) taken aback at Taehyun lashing out, "This is why no one likes you,"

Taehyun wanted to reply, but that stung. How could this person who bullies him every single day determine whether no one liked him or not?

Taehyun's thoughts turned his anxiety into anger. He was getting riled up. Beomgyu was nothing, Beomgyu wasn't anything without his little two-member support crew.

"For someone whose always alone, you're quick to judge,"

and that was Taehyun's huge mistake because, in one moment, although he expected it, anticipated it, Beomgyu grabbed a fistful of his front shirt and pulled him up, and the feeling of his knuckles colliding with his chin made Taehyun's eyes snap open and a low groan emits in his throat.

Taehyun had never been punched so hard before, so he was incredibly shocked when he felt liquid run down the side of his mouth, and him choking on the iron-like taste.

"He's bleeding- call Mr. Min!"

"Oh shit is this a fight?!"

"Stop recording and call someone for fuck's sake!"

Beomgyu wasn't thinking when he let out his boiling antipathy and swung his tight fist, too quick and potent, into Taehyun's defined jaw; the impact like thousands of venomous blades piercing apart his clammed fist. It leads Taehyun to one conclusion: that it hurt. Like a son of a bitch.

Beomgyu's teeth were gritted tight and his face was scrunched up in a scowl, looking down at the younger.

Taehyun's mind flashes to the smiling, soft-spoken Beomgyu who he witnessed for only a few seconds at the coffee shop. the cat cafe he was now fired from. this was not him.

"You dont know shit about me," Beomgyu said, looking down at the male whom he had his front shirt fisted, "So stop talking like you do,"

Taehyun chokes, on what, he doesn't know. On one hand, he thought he was choking on his words, on the next, It could probably be the liquid running down his jaw now (that he assumes could be blood. he prays it's not)

Beomgyu's voice wavered when he talked like he was afraid. Like he was the one being threatened instead of Taehyun. Like he was the one having to dangle by the throat in front of a crowd where people's eyes held fear. Beomgyu was panting, hyperventilating almost. And Taehyun's hand that was tightly grabbing Beomgyu's fist that was holding him, scratched harder.

Just as Taehyun felt like his muscles were going to relax, to let him be hurt like this, to not fight back and let Beomgyu have his way with him, the door slides open in a frantic, rushed manner. the back of the door collides with the concrete wall and Mr. Min's worried eyes meet with Taehyun's first before his eyes travel up to Beomgyu's.

"Choi Beomgyu," Mr. Min said, his voice cold and stern, yet calm, "Let him go and come with me," 

Beomgyu's eyes did not leave Taehyun's. Taehyun notices how his eyes didn't hold any resentment or hate.

instead, it held fear. Choi Beomgyu, who had punched him, had eyes who holds fear for the victim he had hurt.

The fear wasn't like regret. it was more like the fear of getting caught. the fear of being caught. Like Taehyun had just said Beomgyu's secret out loud and now he had to kill him for it. Like Taehyun had caught onto something Beomgyu was hiding.

Mr. Min walked over, and the sound of his dress shoes on the tile floor was probably the thing that snapped him out, because a moment later, Beomgyu blinked rapidly and lets the younger go. Mr. Min, with his arms folded as if it was his default state, looks at him.

"I'm not even surprised at this point," He says with disappointment, looking at the boy who was born and raised in Daegu, "Can someone take Taehyun to the nurse's office?"

"I-I can go myself," Taehyun said, and he felt like his throat was on fire. As if every time he talked, it came out like a gargle.

Mr. Min sighs, "Are you sure?"

Taehyun nodded, unconsciously wiping his mouth. He looks at what he wiped and he felt his heart stop.

His clean white uniform was now stained with a dark, red blotch of blood. And if it weren't for Mr. Min, who placed a hand on his shoulder, he would have probably never snap out of it.

Taehyun's mother was going to be so worried.

"Come on, boys," Mr. Min says, guiding Taehyun to the door.

Beomgyu was looking down the whole time since he let Taehyun go, unblinking, and his breathing picked up. He felt like he was going to have a panic attack, the overwhelming sensation and the pain that shot up through his arm from the punch starting to take over him.

Beomgyu only moved when Mr. Min came back to retrieve him, telling the students to go back to work. Beomgyu trembles as he was being led. not to the principal's room, but to the counselor.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning : panic attacks  
> ꒰🍒꒱ note : this chap may be confusing, but everything will fall into place at the end :]!

a small, shaking figure was curled up tightly in a small ball somewhere inside a cold, gloomy room. it was past midnight and the thunder was roaring. every second there was a strike or two, and the noise came right after.

the figure was sobbing, trembling. IV bag ripped out by force and laying on the floor, the contents spilling as well as the steady stream of blood from the arm of the figure. he scratched his arms as he cried, when the thunder came, he shut his ears in an attempt to drown it out.

another lightning came and he cries harder than before. his breath coming out as a wheeze now, coughing in between. he breathes deeply to try and calm himself. the thunder sounds. it doesn't work.

the tiles on the floor weren't a sanitary place to be curled up on, considering what the building was. but the boy didn't care. white thin sheets wrapped around the lithe, fragile body, providing little warmth.

he doesn't know why he feels like this. it was a sudden attack. one moment he was laying in bed, soothed and lulled to sleep by the steady sounds of the beeping of the monitor, the other moment, he was gasping for air, remembering the events that happened the morning and ripping out the tubes from his body and letting out a blood-curdling scream to let it all out.

the thunder drowned all the noise, and no one was alerted of the boy's panic attack.

"Please," the small, weak boy begged to no one in particular, "p-please stop it.."

a sudden roar of thunder makes him scream again, grabbing at his hair as tears streamed down his pale cheeks. he was crying so much, the tears were starting to stop coming out. only leaving soft wheezing as he tried to convey all of the confusing emotions that he felt. it was overwhelming.

fat tears rolled down his cheeks and slid onto the tip of his chin, rolling down and dropping into a pile on his sweatpants. it was now a wet patch of salty tears.

the rain pounded twice as hard, and the door opened. a silhouette of someone standing there.

"Aish, look at this mess.." the silhouette spoke, "nurse, please come get him, he's doing it again,"

"Beomgyu?" now, a soft, familiar voice says. the voice was so comforting to hear that the boy's brain immediately registered it as family.

"mom," he choked out a sob. the nurse merely shook her head.

"I'm not, sweetheart," she says, "come on, let's get your IV back on, please?"

"Mom!" he cried out all of a sudden, his hands clawing at his face, "I don't want it- please!"

"Choi Beomgyu," the woman says a little less soft now, "Let me help you up, let's get back to bed, okay? you have school tomorrow,"

"I DONT WANT IT- I DONT WANT IT PLEASE!" the fragile boy cried out, trashing, "MOM, HELP ME!"

"I need some help, please," the nurse said to the open door, and on cue, two more staff members came in and help.

"We're not going to hurt you, you'll be okay," the young boy hears as he was guided to the bed, "breathe, calm down,"

And five minutes later, Beomgyu was laying on his bed again, IV inserted in his arm and doped with sleeping pills. his eyes drooped as he focuses on his soft breathing.

thunder came after the lightning. but beomgyu smiled.

he wonders, prays, hopes he can get out of here one day.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : Graphic description of injury

" _He what?!_ " Soobin's voice echoed loudly through the skype call the four of them were having. Yeonjun dropped his pencil, and froze, Kai's eyes widened and Taehyun could see the boy frantically grab his laptop and look into the webcam as if trying to see into his eyes.

"huh-?" Taehyun rose his eyebrows, confused at the boy's sudden action.

"Hyunnie, let us see your face," he says, and Taehyun has never heard the boy's voice so deep and serious before. Taehyun had closed his webcam when he told the story of what happened. His face was jacked up and he really didn't want his friends to see. 

"Don't call me hyunnie without the 'hyung'," Taehyun whined to the younger boy playfully. But Huening Kai wasn't having it.

"Taehyun hyung," Kai said seriously this time, his eyes bore into the webcam, and Taehyun swore he felt a shiver run down his spine, "Open your camera,"

"Calm down there, Ning, you're probably scaring him," Yeonjun's sweet voice echoed, followed by a chuckle. Taehyun sees Yeonjun look up from his work on his desk- they had skyped while he was doing homework- and looks into the camera, "But Hyunnie, we want to see you, we're worried, that's all," 

"Or else I'll run over to your house right now," Soobin said, trying to look intimidating. It doesn't work, his angry face showed his adorable deep dimples and the small desk lamp illuminates his eyes, making it shine like a baby. Yeonjun, Kai and Taehyun tried to stifle a laugh- but that also doesn't work, and it ends up with the three of them laughing, the tension eases.

"Binnie, don't even try to look angry, it doesn't work on you," Yeonjun laughs.

"Soobinnie hyung is like a bunny! adorable bunnies can't get mad," Kai giggles.

"I'm worried, okay!" Soobin pouts.

"Fine, I'll show you, just because of that attempt on being angry was a major fail," Taehyun says, and he could hear Soobin whine a 'hey!', "But don't ...freak, okay?"

"I heard Beomgyu once had a junior sent to a hospital, so you being _not_ in the hospital can't be a huge problem," Yeonjun said, and Taehyun presses the key to open his camera.

the three of them gasp collectively. Soobin had to cover his mouth and briefly look away. 

There, the three sees Taehyun's face. It was okay until he turned.

Dark purple blotches marred the sensitive skin of the male's sharp jawline, spreading out to his neck where his adam's apple was, and it seemed to continue under Taehyun's turtle neck. Beomgyu had only punched Taehyun once, and he had used his fist only, knuckles out, sharp and pointed, but the bruise he left on the boy looked like he had punched to kill.

Taehyun pulls his collar down revealing a fading red mark, showing them that it stopped just before his collarbone. They would've thought merely Beomgyu's diatribe was enough to harm the younger, but it clearly wasn't. the vitriolic attack proves that the boy was not normal. 

"What.." Huening Kai's small voice was heard over the receiver

"WHAT THE FUCK-?" 

"Hey, language!" Another voice came from Kai's screen, followed by a pounding on his door. The three can already tell it was his older sister, Lea. Kai shouts an apology back.

"But seriously, what the heck?!" Kai says, and Yeonjun was staring intensely at the screen that Beomgyu thought he was right there in front of him.

"You told us he punched you once.." Yeonjun trailed off, and Taehyun lifts his collar back up nonchalantly.

"He did," Taehyun said, opting not to turn his camera back off, "I'm pretty sure there was someone who filmed it, too,"

"Is Soobin hyungie okay?" Kai's voice rang, and the older boy slowly removes his hand from his mouth.

"I'll kill him," He says, and Taehyun kind of wants to laugh, "You have to report him, what the hell, Taehyunie?! Does your family know?!"

  
  
"No," Taehyun says, "Hyerin asked why I was wearing a turtleneck indoors, but that's about it. Mom was out since the morning with dad," 

"Your dad's home?" Yeonjun asked in a hushed whisper. Taehyun rolls his eyes. It seemed like Yeonjun always had a problem with his father.

"Yes, Hyung, and he's not even doing anything, why are you always so wary when he's back?" Taehyun says, not meaning to make it sound so mean, but it came out harsher than he expected to.

"I dunno, he seems suspicious," Yeonjun said, folding his arms and leaning back onto his chair, briefly glancing at his unfinished math work and scratching his neck, "Did he come home yesterday?"

  
  
"Yeah... why are you asking me so many questions about someone whose unrelated to you, hyung?" Taehyun wanted to get mad at Yeonjun, but his two other friends were there, and he didn't want them to see another side of Taehyun.

"Mom told me he went home sick yesterday, a few hours after he clocked in," He said.

Taehyun would've asked, ' _why the fuck does your mom tell you that shit_?', in the nicest way possible, but Taehyun isn't even surprised. Yeonjun was an only child, so he was close with his family and since his mom was a doctor and his dad was a pilot, they always had a lot to talk about during dinner. Especially since Yeonjun himself was a dance prodigy and the most popular guy in school.

"Maybe he was sick, I don't know," Taehyun shrugs, "He seems okay yesterday, we even played games," 

  
  
"Let's move on," Soobin's kind voice said, and Taehyun has never been more thankful for him to intervene, "Are you seriously not going to report him, Hyun ah? What the fuck? What if he tries something like that again?"

  
  
"And he gave you that nasty bruise from just a single punch, too," Kai says, "I don't think he belongs in school, put him in a mental prison," He jokes.

"Yah," Yeonjun scolded the younger, "Don't joke about mental health like that. Beomgyu's just a problematic kid, spoiled, probably,"

"Plus," Yeonjun continues, "Why would you even irk him up like that, hyunnie?" he asked, "Did you seriously tell the Choi Beomgyu that he's lonely and quick to judge?!" 

"He told me no one likes me!" Taehyun defended, albeit pathetically, "He ignored me when I apologized!"

Kai looked like he was going to say something, but suddenly, a familiar ringtone was heard.

"Wait, is that your phone, Hyunnie?" Soobin asked, and Taehyun nods as he rummages through the mess on his table to look for his phone. Soobin continues, "I thought it went missing..?"

"Mr. Min wanted me to see him after class, so I went to him after the trip to the nurse's office and he gave me this," Taehyun said.

"Did he tell you who found it or where you left it?" Kai asked, moving his bangs to the side, and Taehyun shakes his head, finally founding his phone.

"Give me a sec, it's Yuna," He said as he muted the skype call, picking up, "Hello?"

  
  
"Uh, guys," Yeonjun said, and the three curiously looks at him on their screen. Yeonjun was looking at his phone, his mouth agape.

"What's up, hyung?" Kai asked.

"You.. might want to open YouTube and see Han's channel.." Yeonjun trails off, and the two do exactly that.

On the call, Taehyun hears Yuna panicking, "Uh, why do you sound so worried, Yuna?"

"Your video with Choi Beomgyu, it went viral!" She said worriedly.

Huening Kai and Soobin gasp when they see an uploaded video of the fight in 480p, and half a million people already watching it. 

And just then, there was a frantic knock on Beomgyu's door. 


	19. Chapter 19

Beomgyu was a prodigy.

Beomgyu, when he worked, he worked diligently. At least, that was what Taehyun catches in the halls back when he was an art student. Back when he wasn't a victim of his. Back when, well, back when he didn't even know of a Beomgyu at all.

The older male was a prodigy in the art department. He was loved by all the teachers there, his art was admired and even hung on display at times.

Him changing his subject to music so suddenly out of the blue was a mystery to everyone, honestly. Even the teachers.

When Taehyun came to school the next day, his bag slung lazily around his shoulder as he had missed the bus and had to run to the school himself due to his dad had already gone back to his apartment near his workspace, Taehyun caught murmurs in the hallways.

He honestly expected it. The video of the fight, if he could even call it that, went viral. Not only in school, but also outside. Students stared at him when he walked briskly to his class that was on the other side of the building. He was easily brushing off everyone who tried to talk to him, ask him questions, but then just before he could reach the door to his class, someone stops him.

"Dude, are you insane?" A short, blonde male that Taehyun doesn't recognize grabbed his shoulder, "You're Kang Taehyun, right? The one in-"

"Han's video? Music class? yes, that's me," Taehyun said quickly, "Listen, if you want me to show you my bruises or ask me why I didn't fight back, then don't bother,"

"But come on, can't I just take a picture with you? my friends would go insane if they see me take a picture with the Taehyun sunbae!"

When Taehyun hears sunbae, he squints his eyes at the kid, studying him carefully. And that's when he recognizes that his uniform was from the elementary school right behind them. This random kid had grabbed Taehyun in the hallways just to take a picture with him?

It was beyond messed up. So Taehyun shrugs him off.

"Kid, listen, I don't have time," Taehyun says. And that was probably the first time Taehyun had used 'kid' on another person besides Huening Kai way back before they met.

"But you took a beating from the Choi Beomgyu! You're like- a legend!"

Taehyun frantically looks around. Why was this kid spewing his name so loudly and freely like this out in the open? where he could see and catch him?

the kid seemed to pick up what Taehyun was worried about, and he laughs.

"Choi Beomgyu is absent today, Sunbae,"

Taehyun stops and looks at him, he tilted his head. Absent?

Beomgyu was a prodigy. He was a diligent boy. his name wasn't spoken mixed with nice words much, but Beomgyu was always an example from a teacher on good attendance. Beomgyu was never absent.

Beomgyu was never absent, until now.

Weird

"Sunbae? Can I take that picture now?" The young boy asked with irritation, and Taehyun was too deep in thought to even hear him. He walks past the boy and ignores the whining coming from him. Taehyun thought that he'd keep following him, but he was proven wrong when the door he was about to enter swung open quickly, and slams into the kid's face almost comically. And he falls down with a nosebleed.

Taehyun tried his best not to laugh.

"Oh, what is this young gentleman doing here?" Taehyun's music teacher, Yoongi, asked. His voice sounded an octave higher, though. As if he did it on purpose, and was making fun of the child.

he makes a sound of disapproval when he turned and saw the boy lying there, twitching, it seemed, "Hm, this isn't good. Well, why don't you get into class first, Kang Taehyun?"

Taehyun nods to his music teacher, walking inside. When he sits down, he sees Mr. Min looking at the poor boy and he only assumes he was giving him a lecture.

For the rest of the lesson, though. The seat next to him remained empty and cold.


	20. Chapter 20

Beomgyu was not present the day after. And the week after, either. And Taehyun worries.

Taehyun worries over the fact he was worrying. Why the _fuck_ was he worrying? over Beomgyu out of all people? Maybe it was the fact that the used to be a good student who had never missed a single day of school; was now absent for a week, two, actually. Or maybe it was the fact that Taehyun ends up tapping an unknown inconsistent rhythm on his desk during music, looking at the other students who were happily discussing their work among their teammates.

Or maybe because of today. The third week after the clip becoming viral, Beomgyu arrives in school. Hand in his pocket and glancing around the school as if he hadn't been missing in action for three weeks.

The ugly bruise on Taehyun's jaw had decreased and faded as days went by. When the video came out, he really shouldn't have been shocked when his sister found out. She was a social media addict anyway. 

Hyerin was weeping when she saw the bruise and Taehyun thought she was being dramatic, but then again, she wasn't used to the wounds like Taehyun were to them. Hyerin and his mother bought cream and made sure Taehyun iced his injury every night, they babied him more than they already did (which was already a lot anyway).

Taehyun doesn't know if his father caught wind of it, but whether or not he did, Taehyun doesn't hear anything from him since he left.

Back to the present, Taehyun was looking at the raven-haired boy from across the canteen where he sat with his friends. Kai's sandwich fell onto his tray when his eyes caught sight of the guy who had beaten up his best friend.

"The fuck?" Yeonjun scowled across the room, "Is that Choi Beomgyu? why did he show up back here again like he didn't just go MIA for a whole month?"

"It wasn't a whole month," Soobin nudged the boy, "Three weeks and two days. A personal record for not only him, but students his grade,"

"He even beat that one cube entertainment trainee kid who went missing for two weeks from his audition," Kai adds, "I heard he didn't pass the first round, too. Sad,"

"Stop worrying about other people, what the heck," Yeonjun said, irritated. He drops his spoon angrily on the table, making it clatter with the fiberglass tray and into his carrot bits, "I thought he had jumped off a cliff. Do you have music today?" 

Taehyun looks up from where he had been playing with his salad, he meets Yeonjun's eyes that looked into his with concern. Even if his hyung jokes and teases them often, he knew that the oldest always cared for them. Yeonjun had the tendency of not making fun and playing around with them, but at the end of the day, they were his best friend. His baby brothers.

"Yeah, last period," Taehyun says simply, "Don't worry, hyung. I doubt he'll try anything,"

"If you're going to pull off that 'all bark no bite' thing, I suggest you look back at Han's video," Soobin utters as he munches on the carrot stick that he got from Yeonjun's plate, "You're the smartest among us, yet sometimes I think you're brainless,"

Taehyun rolls his eyes, and Kai sips his drink.

"The bell is going to ring in a bit, we should get to class early," the younger decided, standing up, "Come on, Hyunnie, let's go to class together!" 

"Yah, what about us?" Yeonjun asked, offended, "Hey, are you eating my carrots?" 

Soobin giggled a little, his dimples making an appearance. Yeonjun glares at him, and Kai takes the opportunity to pull Taehyun along.

"See you, hyungs!"

.

"So, are you going to tell me or what?" Taehyun said when they reached the quieter part of the halls. The longer route, where fewer students used. The air was cold as it was aligned with currently vacant laboratories with doors wide open that belonged to the seniors. the lights flickered as if they were characters in a horror movie, and the metal lockers only added to the freezing temperature.

"H-Huh? Tell you what, hyung? I didn't even say anything," the youngest looks shocked like he was caught right-handed. he halts in his step and his shoulders tense. Oh, was it really that bad? Taehyun could see right through the boy's faux pas.

"You're calling me hyung, something is definitely up with you," Taehyun quirks his eyebrow curiously, "Come on, Kai ah, tell me what's up already,"

Kai- defeated- sighs and slumps his shoulders.

"You got me," He laughs nervously, "There's actually something I wanted to tell you about Beomgyu hyung.,"

Now that? that caught his interest. But he quickly reached up to the extremely tall boy and shut his mouth, both hands clasped on his mouth.

"Are you insane? He could hear you, you know?" 

"You didn't panic like this when Beomgyu was in the canteen not even ten feet away from us," Kai said simply.

In the school they attend, saying his name was like a curse, a death wish. They referred to him as Choi, usually. Taehyun doesn't know when or how did it start, but he remembers very vividly the first day he attended the school, he had heard that someone his age had been sent to a hospital because he fought with a blonde boy a year above him.

Beomgyu was blonde back then, and he was also a year above him. He was only held back a year now due to the fact that he wanted to change courses in the middle of the year. Taehyun and the other students will never know what drove the once talented, calm art prodigy to become violent and move classes.

"Don't worry so much, Hyunnie," Kai says. And finally, the kid calls him without the honorifics, "Do you want to hear it or not?"

"Tell me later," Taehyun replies promptly, "I'm going to be late, and I really want to get there before he does,"

Huening Kai nods sadly.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lil note : repetition is a technique I use to emphasize significant ideas, so all repetition that you'll see from now on is intentional uwu
> 
> also, the story plot will be starting deeper after this chap :DD (this chappy is a peek into beomgyuie) I'm excited to show yall what I've been planning with this! and note that I'm a science student and not an arts student, so sorry if I made any mistakes! i had made a thorough research of this beforehand, though i might still get some wrong T__T

To be frank, Beomgyu knew people talked about him behind his back. He knew they feared him, he knew they all suppressed to talk his name in school. He knew.

He was the mistake that teachers gossip about in lounges. People theorize on why he changed out of his perfect life in the art department for music; a subject he was incompetent about. He was a mistake, _he is a mistake_. 

He had his future planned out at the beginning before everything came pouring down on him like a rainstorm. A small house by the waters where he'd make downstairs a coffee house, he'd serve coffee with personalized latte art he made. Timber flooring that smelled of furniture stores and wooden round tables where he'd serve customers their drinks, a console table to display his paintings by the door. 

Above the little coffee house would be his home. _His and his lover's home._ Beomgyu didn't have a lover in mind when he created this scenario in his head, but he knew he wanted to settle down when he was at that age. he wanted see-through curtains in his bedroom that he'd keep open during the day, and shut at night, letting moonlight reflecting from the waters into his room. For stormy evenings, he'd shut the blackout curtain behind it.

He'd wake up and open the window to the smell of the ocean and he'd paint on the balcony on days he decides to close the shop early. He'd paint the ocean, the view, his mother, his significant other, anything he could think of and gave him inspiration- or a sense of calamity, he would lay on a canvas.

He'd kiss his lover before they went to work every day- assuming they dont work with him. Beomgyu prefers if they'd work with him on the coffee shop, but that was entirely up to them. They'd have bread and cakes that were snuck out from the display case, supposed to be sold in the shop, with quiet and sneaky giggles on their balcony for breakfast every morning, and at night, he'd shut the shop after his lover comes back home safe and sound.

_And then what?_ he had remembered asking himself, asking all the right questions to make sure his dream was well thought through so it would at least be realistic.

_And then_ , he deems. And then he'll die. 

If he can just live like that, with no concerns, with his lover and maybe children in the future, he'd be happy to die after. As long as he got to live the simple life he wanted, he'd give back to nature as gratitude and rest.

But Beomgyu was no longer like that.

even his art teacher hadn't known what had gotten to him the last day they were having lessons. The last day Beomgyu was smiling. A bright blonde tenth grader who wore a white shirt with plenty of stains and slender jeans that hugged him right; was what he had been that last day. The day before he snapped.

It was five in the afternoon when the department's art teacher; Kibum, or Mr. Kim, had entered the studio to store the paintings for the student's that stayed behind. 

Their highschool was nice. if work was due that day or the day after, the doors were always going to be open until five pm every day. 

When he entered, however, he was met with an extremely horrid sight.

When people hear Beomgyu's name, they think of paintbrushes and stains of stationary colors against a linen canvas, sun-kissed by the rays of early morning light.

But at that moment, when Kibum sees a small form curled up in the corner of the white-walled studio, drawings and brushes scattered and paint wasted on the floor, cans opened and spilled, coloring the floor a bright pinkish-blue, (the color of Daegu when it was spring, he notes) he knew something was wrong. 

It was like someone left a stain on what was once a beautiful painting. The previous envisionment of the boy completely turned around. He was no longer a hung painting, but a ruined one. colors clashed and composition done wrong, a disproportionate piece of abandoned work. He lays there with his head buried deep into the crook of his arms.

The empty studio echoed with alarmingly loud sobs, wails that sounded heartbreaking from the small trembling figure. Kibum slowly approached the younger, kneeling in front of him.

"Choi Beomgyu? What happened?" he asked slowly, but the kid doesn't respond, so he moves closer, one hand moving to gently grab his shoulder.

Beomgyu shoots up and shrieks, moving further into the wall. His eyes were extremely bloodshot and his soft pale cheeks were stained with tears and nail scratches. Beomgyu had a different glint in his eyes, the once happy and excited shine now replaced with fear.

Beomgyu was looking at his teacher, but he wasn't there with him. Kibum knows. 

"Hey," the scared younger's teacher calls out, "Come back to me, B-"

Beomgyu lets out another pained cry, and he buries his head into his arms once again, shaking like a leaf.

_"Mom,"_

His teacher looks at him apprehensively, as if Beomgyu was a piece of glass, arms raised. 

"B-"

_"Mom, mom, mom,"_ Beomgyu sobs brokenly into his arms, _"Mom,"_

That day, he was sent to the counselor that was just closing, and his teacher never heard from him again. 

Except for the fact that he stayed in the counseling until midnight, that day.

The incident spread after that when they heard that prodigy Choi Beomgyu had torn his own painting on the rooftop and screamed at everyone who tried to stop him.

_Insane was what people called him._

When he suddenly pushed all his many friends away and ate alone at lunch,

When he had started hanging out with a completely, completely different group of people soon after- the group that the old color-splashed boy would always try to avoid.

When students saw him move classes to music only to beat up the student there- Taehyun. That's when people started to fear him. To talk about him behind his back, to make sure every new student that enters will _never_ experience what they merely heard in stories.

Now, when people hear Beomgyu's name, they think of the famous 2002 painting from the anonymous artist Bansky. the Girl with Balloon, it was called. The painting that was auctioned at the highest price of 1.4 million, but was shredded to pieces the moment the gavel hit, immediately decreasing its value. Worthless.

Beomgyu knew he was the school's hot topic. He knew people feared him and thought he was a heartless bully.

He knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my poor baby, i just want to give you a hug (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ
> 
> theres more too him ;) this is where it all begins. we have a long way to go, folks!
> 
> why do you think he was calling for his mom? feel free to lmk ! V●ᴥ●V


	22. Chapter 22

Whenever Taehyun came to music before the raven moved, he was almost always early (unless his classes were on the other side of the school, of course. he'd never run in the halls. that wasn't the type of person he was)

After he sends Kai to his class, he'd arrive at exactly three o'clock sharp just to arrange his utensils on his table. He took notes a lot, claiming everything had to be important if Yoongi explains it. this sole reason is probably why the teacher sees potential for Taehyun to become a great singer one day.

It was his dream, after all. and it wasn't unreachable.

The simple act that he does every day had never bored him, as many of his peers thought it would. Repeating the same thing every day had actually brought him a sense of calamity, knowing the fact that he was getting ready to learn. if Yoongi were late, he'd read through his textbook. he was a simple person. and simple things like those had become his routine.

minus the glasses, he really was a stereotypical nerd, huh?

But lately, it was... different.

as a matter of fact, it had started being different since Beomgyu moved. It was like the subject music blew past like a breeze in the air, as quick as it came by, it ended.

Sometimes he found himself zoning out. sitting by the window used to help Taehyun stay focused on the lesson, but now it had became a distraction. as if his mind wandered out beyond the glass panes. he caught himself staring at the clouds more often than the book on his desk several times, as of late.

Thoughts swarmed Taehyun's head whenever the subject came to mind, drowning out the voice of Mr. Min who was teaching. Sometimes the thought of jumping out of the window sounds nice.

And today was probably one of the worse days he had... yet, at least.

Taehyun had come over a little late due to Huening Kai dragging him to talk at the furthest corridor in the whole school. Seriously, did it have to be on the opposite side of his building? The speed walk there took a whole five minutes and by the time he reached his class, his legs felt worn out. 

The classroom was strangely silent, a contrast to the usually loud bantering he'd hear from the halls on his way. There wasn't a lot in his class, but they were _loud_. Though when he glanced at his desk as he entered, he kind of got why it was not the usual way it is.

Choi Beomgyu sat there, head in his arms that were on the desk. he'd think he was sleeping if it weren't for the cutter in his hands. he seemed like he was carving something on the wooden desk. his jacket was unbuttoned, his white shirt untucked and messy, his dark hair tousled as if he had just returned from a fight. if Taehyun's assumptions we're right, what was new?

Thankfully, the world seemed to spare him at that moment as Yoongi had come in the classroom with a familiar grumpy face. The grumpy face he wore this time, though, was genuine. it wasn't his resting face, but an actual annoyed one. Taehyun could already sense that today's class might be a little bad. he should be careful. then again, he'd never gotten trouble before, he was so sure.

he should really control his thoughts. even his brain could jinx him at times.

The dark circles from their teacher's eyes wouldn't go unnoticed even if someone tried. They were prominent from a mile away (of course, that was sort of exaggeration).

"Does anyone know what day today is?" Yoongi asked, placing his bag in his chair and sitting on top of the desk. the person in front answers him.

"Thursday?"

The answer from his classmate had a layer of teasing in it. As if he was making fun of their teacher for not knowing the day. They were always like this, though. The male from Daegu was their music teacher since they were in grade school. He was laid back and chill. 

But this time, Yoongi's lips pressed into a thin line, and that's when Taehyun realizes that he was in absolutely _no_ mood to be playing around.

"Dude stop being an ass, if we get into trouble I'm seriously going to hit you," the person next to him whispers- though the whole class could probably hear the supposed-to-be hushed toned.

"You played goalkeeper yesterday and tried to kick the opponent's ball away yet it still went into their goalpost? How are you supposed to hit me?"

"That was one time C-"

On cue, a deafening, loud slam resonated in the classroom as Yoongi slams his thick music textbook onto the table with force. He looks up at the kids staring at him with an emotionless expression. Taehyun could feel his ears ringing, and he was sitting at the back of the class.

"Sorry," he chuckles, failing to keep his expression monotone. Honestly they expected it, Yoongi had been their music teacher since seventh grade and they were used to his antiques and variety of moods.

"Alright, can someone really tell me what today is?"

"You wanted to assess our current progress, right..?" Taehyun glances at his classmate, Ryujin, answer from the corner of his eyes.

Progress? What progress?

"Exactly. It's trial Thursday, I told everyone last week didn't I, Mister Lee?" Yoongi said, sitting on top of the wooden desk, one of his legs atop of the other as he quirks his eyebrow as if saying, _you didn't listen to me, did you?_

He laughs nervously, bowing his head a little as an apology.

"Alright, I need everyone to pass up their first drafts of the lyrics," Yoongi declares, patting the space on the wooden desk next to him. Right away, each student takes out their work one by one. a representative of the duos in the class comes up front to pass up the supposed work. Taehyun looks at them with perplexity.

_Huh?!_

Taehyun's eyes quickly darts around the class at his classmates who were holding a scribbled paper. they were most likely handing the first draft of the lyrics that they worked together on. Taehyun panics a little bit more, his heart rate picks up and his palms began to sweat.

He had absolutely no time to work together with Choi Beomgyu due to the incident that happened the last time they were in the same spot together, adding to the fact that he had been missing in action for almost a month and _shouldn't Yoongi know about this god damn it?!_

Taehyun thought that he should be the man in the situation since the person next to him seems like he doesn't want to make any effort in moving (not that he would, of course. that was just how he was, wasn't he?) but before he could, he faced the front and his eyes had met with Yoongi's.

_Crap_

"And what about the two of you?" he asked, his voice monotonous.

"Ah, I was- um-," Taehyun shrinks in his seat as pairs of eyes burn a hole into his head. He meant to sound confident but he couldn't seem to search for the right words to say so he kept silent afterward.

"You 'was um'?" Yoongi replies, mocking him. "Kang? Choi?"

Taehyun understood why he'd be mad at him, but it was unclear to Taehyun why Yoongi was asking Beomgyu. Unless he had reached out to him or knew why he was absent for the whole week, the raven certainly couldn't have had a way to know about this. Taehyun wonders if Yoongi had actually reached out to Beomgyu in the three weeks he's been missing. 

If Beomgyu had actually made a draft without him just to save his ass -and even if it were vague and messy, he swore he wouldn't ever think bad of the older ever again.

but his hopes were short-lived the moment his music partner opened his mouth.

"Taehyun wouldn't work with me," Beomgyu replies with an edge in his voice.

_oh no he fucking_ _**didn't** _ _._

Taehyun could feel his cheeks heating up. He wanted to fight back, but God, this was embarrassing. Not only was he being falsely accused, but he wouldn't even defend himself. he wanted to stomp up and yell, ' _he's fucking lying_!', but he realizes it'd only make him seem like a child. and there was no merit in trying to preserve what little dignity he had anyway, because Beomgyu was, in a way, right.

Taehyun didn't want to work with him. he didn't even try to approach him at all. but then again, he went missing, so how the fuck was Taehyun supposed to know?!

This wasn't him at all. Kang Taehyun was the smart kid who asks if they should pass up homework at the last minute when the bell rings. He's not- never someone who got scolded by a teacher.

he doesn't realize the small smile playing on the corner of Yoongi's lips.

"Alright," Yoongi huffs, "Detention for the both of you today,"

"Wh-What?!" Taehyun shoots up from where he had shrunk himself, he went from wanting to be one with the chair to desperately wishing his ears were playing tricks on him, Detention?! I-"

"That's enough. Talk back to me and I'll make that for a week. Now take out your textbooks and turn to chapter four," Yoongi dismisses him. He stands and turns, starting to write on the whiteboard.

Taehyun slumps, his eyes darkening. He couldn't even ask under what condition he was sending him to detention for. It couldn't be just because he didn't pass up the work, that was ridiculous.

This was Taehyun's first time not doing a given work, anyway. if he was being sent to detention as a consequence of the things his partner had done...

For the first time, he properly glances at Beomgyu who was busy doodling on his desk, seemingly ignoring everything- and especially _him_ , on purpose.

jerk.

Time went by faster than Taehyun had wanted it to and the bell woke him out of his trance. He had been staring at the clef on his textbook, tracing the lines and trying to get rid of the embarrassment that had happened not to long ago. He hopes no one remembers it. Little did he knew no one would care, anyways. No one would even, it was just his mind wanting to make him scared.

He stood up, grabbing his backpack and wanting to just go out and leave. Go straight home and plop on his bed and die of embarrassment. Maybe even pray that Choi Beomgyu had just been a figment of his imagination. that he'd been delusional because of stress.

or wake up knowing he was in a coma and he'd arouse from his slumber to his normal life as someone invisible. That he'd wake up to Beomgyu still in the art class and he was just paired up with another student... something, or other.

He knew it was far-fetched. but hey, when your desperate, your mind wanders.

Just as he was about to step out, he heard Yoongi clearing his throat. He flinches, slowly turning around and his eyes met Yoongi's disapproving one.

"Detention," he blatantly mouthed each syllable. And Taehyun kind of wanted to die. So he really was going to detention for the sole reason that he had not turned in a stupid piece of paper that was supposed to be done with his uncooperative excuse of a partner, huh?

He sighs and walks out. Heading over to the vending machine to grab a snack before heading to the alternate hell. It was going to be an absolutely long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooo does yoongi have plans ?? what does he know ?? 👀👀
> 
> hIIIIII !!1 i wanted to post this to show that it isn't discontinued yet/ever oml im so sorry TT this was meant to be short but I got carried away and its 2k words AAHHHH 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed anyways ~ I'm working on the other chapters rn 1! its gonna be a ride I tell you ;))


	23. Chapter 23

Kang Taehyun had never been to detention his whole 18 years of living. That was what being a good student brought to him, it seems. Years of sending his homework and assignments exactly when its due, and doing almost _all_ his group projects by himself (as his lousy teammates had always slacked off), had led him to be silently titled as the smartest and most diligent kid in his grade. Despite all, he was still invisible. Which, now that he thinks about it, really wasn't a bad thing.

But that was before, well, this.

Though even if he had never been to detention, he was 102% sure that they were not supposed to _lock_ the supposed convict inside the room. He was certain that at least someone should watch over them to, _you know_ , make sure they don't escape or something?

But that was probably the reason for the locked door in the first place.

The moment he heard the familiar twist of the lock on the door from _outside,_ his mind went haywire and realized that something was definitely wrong.

"Wait, wait, wait," Taehyun blurted in apprehension to his music teacher from outside, his short legs bringing him to the door when it was fully locked already. Yoongi peers at him through the transparent rectangular window (which Taehyun swears feels like a prison bar right about now) and gave him an encouraging nod. His lips move as he talked, and Taehyun could hear him clearly from the slits at the bottom of the window.

"I'll release you once you settle your differences. For now, think about your actions and try to at least be able to talk to each other, Kang,"

"And if we don't?" He whispers. He silently hopes to whatever was up there that Yoongi could catch the not so subtle glint of _he-is-going-to-beat-me-up-and-you'll-only-find-my-dead-body-here_ in his brown orbs. The other male in the room had already taken a seat in the room as if it were his own. If he had been here several times already, Taehyun wouldn't be surprised.

Taehyun assumes that Yoongi doesn't catch his internal panicking when the sound of his teacher's laughter, followed by the teasing jingle of the keys vibrated in his ears through the air spaces in the door. Yoongi shakes his head flashing him the gummy smile of his, and walks away. Seemingly humming. A contrast to what he was not an hour ago.

The air seemed to still when the older teacher walked far out of sight and made a turn on the corner, disappearing out of view and earshot. The room turns cold. A slight shift was heard from behind, and Taehyun turns around. Beomgyu was just a person, presumably with a bad history. if he stays still like he was prey, he'd disregard his presence and leave him alone, right?

wrong

His eyes met the cold gaze of the taller boy in the room and he wonders if he had been staring right at him the whole time. A _"what?"_ was at the tip of his tongue, but he really didn't feel like getting his shit beat up just for talking. it was obvious how the male had a problem whenever Taehyun opens his mouth.

So he looked away the second they made eye contact and the other seemed to do the same. Taehyun faces the wall at the back of the class where the posters on classroom friendliness (ironic, he thought) and the clock reading four pm stared back at him, his shoulders slouching. Being here was going to leave a stain on his report card.

If Yoongi had thought to lock them in a room after school hours would flush whatever unspoken hatred they had with each other down the drain, he was absolutely wrong.

Taehyun was like a lost lamb, just trying to finish school and graduate so he could get into a university in the United States with his sister. He hadn't ever done an act of felony to attract or irate anyone. Minus that one time Taehyun had stuck bubblegum into a girl's hair- Huening Kai's younger sister, to be exact- at the age of five; but he was so sure she didn't hold a grudge on him.

Beomgyu was the wolf who seemed to hunt him down just to satisfy his hunger. And he had managed to hunt him down, all right, but his hunger has yet to be satisfied.

With long and awkward steps, Taehyun sat down on the desk in front, a good five desks away from the male.

There could be only two things that could happen. It's either one, they talk and make up (Taehyun wants to scoff at that, _as if he'd even_ he thinks). Or two, they don't.

The younger doesn't know why he felt so nervous around him. What happened to his _all bark and no bite?_ If his friends knew he felt this way, they'd definitely give him the 'i-told-you-so' for the rest of his high school years. Maybe even longer than that. 

He told himself that he was just being cautious. There was no way he was afraid of some _douche_ who probably has too much time in his hands and his only way of filling it is by making a weak nerd (Taehyun has come to accept the fact that this was his label), his target.

The silence was uncomfortable and there was obviously some tension between the two. All Taehyun could see was the messy hair of the boy as he had sat by the window at the front of the room. He seemed to be staring outside, tapping his fingers on the wooden desk. Taehyun takes a closer look at him. His clothes were dirty, he had taken off his vest and it showed how soiled his shirt was with grime. Taehyun wonders what the hell did he get himself into, again.

The only sounds in the class being the air conditioner and the wind from the slightly cracked windows. The frigid air gave him goosebumps, despite sitting at the far side away from the glass panes. He outstretches his arm on the table and lays his head on it, staring at the empty desks and the boy.

The sun had already started to set behind the trees that crowded the football field below their line of vision, making them look like silhouettes casting shadows on the loud football team who were having a friendly match outside (where he wished he was), the breeze shaking the leaves and making them sway, rattling them, but not enough to drown the chirping of the birds.

At this hour if he wasn't busy, he would usually go out with his friends. He imagines the countless times he had gone out with Kai, occasionally with Soobin and Yeonjun, walking back from school to the bustling city of Seoul down the hill. They'd ride bikes if they brought it with them. Remembering the silly selfies he takes with his best friends when it had reached golden hour which he ends up posting, and then returning home to the smell of dinner and his sister's annoying singing in the shower with Kai just before the moon rises.

Taehyun knows, despite only sitting there for a few minutes, that it was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been in a mood to write these days, so the next update will be v soon (i swear this time HHHH) !! I'm 2k words in and its not even half of it,, its gonna be,,, least to say more clues abt gyu will be given!! :)))


	24. Chapter 24

Taehyun's eyes were getting droopy.

He hadn't had a well-rested sleep in days, staying up on calls with his three best friends just to talk about their classes. They had been doing this since they entered high school, but nowadays their talks always shift towards Taehyun's upcoming project. He knows they mean well and just care for him, it's just that he couldn't quite sleep like a baby every time he remembers the last thing he talks about before bed is the fact that he has to write a romantic song with the student that loathed him the most.

He was exhausted. He steals a glance at the clock to see if the school had ended already and sure enough there was an hour left. If his teacher wasn't going to let him out anytime soon, then he would rather just catch up on some sleep. He wasn't expecting anything to happen anyway.

His head rests against his arm on the table, facing the window were golden rays of light paint the sky in bright colors, dusting them with pink clouds. There was a dark cloud looming just nearby, and he silently thanked his sister for forcing him to bring an umbrella before school that morning.

"Nasty bruise you got there,"

Taehyun wakes from his dreamy state and shoots up, looking to where the source of the voice was coming from. Choi Beomgyu stands in front of his desk, peering down.

Taehyun, in his hazy, post-sleepy state, squints at how Beomgyu stands. His arms slacked at his sides and fingers lose- for once not curled into tight fists like the familiar sight he always sees. Red adorning his cheeks. _Interesting_.

He continues to stare for a little longer, probably not realizing how that only irked the older up.

"Say something god damn it!"

Beomgyu shouts, his voice echoing. his palms come down to the desk and Taehyun jumps in shock, flinching at the loud noise that rang in his ears. Beomgyu sighs when he doesn't get an answer, dragging his hand across his face to calm himself. There was something in the way he acted that seemed really intriguing to Taehyun. 

"I-," Beomgyu starts, followed by small mumbling. Taehyun remains silent, waiting for what he was about to say, and he wouldn't have heard what the older had said if he hadn't been straining his ears.

"'m sorry,"

"Huh?" Taehyun replies, dim-witted. To be fair, he hadn't expected the boy to talk to him, let alone _apologize_. Even if he did manage to strike up a conversation, he had expected a more hostile attitude. Beomgyu doesn't repeat his apology as he chews on his bottom lip instead, a hand in his pocket, and Taehyun doesn't bother him more. At this, Beomgyu gets agitated.

"Fuckin'," one of his hands raised, but he drops them again with a heavy sigh and a slump of his shoulders, "Nevermind,"

The silence was unnerving. Mostly because he just...stood there. Beomgyu didn't go back to his seat, instead, he stays at his spot like he was expecting something from him. Like he was waiting for an answer.

Judged. Taehyun felt judged, scrutinized under his gaze. He was getting uncomfortable. It was extremely awkward and he could tell the other felt the same as well.

Beomgyu's words were as clear as mud. The way the boy put his apology; a small mumble; before screaming at him made it sound foreign. Like it wasn't something that he would expect to be coming out of someone who he was never taught to use his inside voice. Or doesn't know his inside voice existed.

_(But If Taehyun thought a little harder, it sounded like Beomgyu was actually guilty. His voice as soft as silk. Vulnerable. like he meant it. But as fast as it came, it was gone with a slam of a fist)_

Yoongi had told them (just before he left with the jingling keys of their 'jail cell'), that he'll release them once they _settle their differences_. Taehyun quickly assumes that this was the reason Beomgyu apologized (or tried to, at least), out of the blue. But no one was there anyway, it was going to be useless. They weren't going to be attached to the hip with elbows hooked, singing on top of their lungs like they were best friends when they leave.

"uh, okay," Taehyun says with uncertainty, not knowing how else to respond. He was here due to the consequences of Beomgyu's actions, he wasn't going to be nice and receive a half-assed apology. But he also wouldn't press. He wanted to leave alive, after all. There are times where one has to keep quiet when being faced with adversity. This, for example, is one of them

"Whatever," Beomgyu replies, turning around to walk back to where he sat.

Their fights, in Taehyun's view, were childish. extremely.

To get it straight, Choi Beomgyu just picks on him for no reason (or one he doesn't know, if that's the case, it's still ridiculous) and now he was locked in detention for the first time in his eighteen years of his life on an act he didn't even do?

Taehyun was patient and calm and kind. But he was the type of person you did not and never want to see the other side of.

He was furious.

He wanted to know what was the reason he started acting like an asshole to him, what driven him to hurt not only him but his boisterous friend as well.

Oh God. Huening Kai.

Taehyun vividly remembers the day he had found Kai in the lockers, his phone turning into the least of his worries when he hears his best friend weep. Clinging onto the older boy the second Taehyun opened the door for what he assumed was half an hour, his body shaking like a leaf and his tears soaking into his shirt. It had taken Taehyun a while to calm the boy down by patting his back (which was a little awkward, considering the height gap the two boys had), and his shirt was soaked by the end of it. He didn't show it, but his heart broke at how scared his best friend was.

The memory easily gets him pissed, and Taehyun wasn't one to get angry easily. People could mess with him. Beomgyu could just spend his high school years being his tail and throwing rocks at him, but when it comes down to his friend... his best friend, at that, he feels anger taking over his usual calm demeanor.

His legs straighten before he could take hold of his irritation, taking him straight to where the other sat by the table in front. Beomgyu had his chin propped on his free hand, his table empty, save for a fairly thick test paper with a huge red _F_ in a circle on the top right corner. Taehyun could clearly make out a note on the top. _see me after class,_ it reads. The paper was completely torn up by the strangely bright yellow cutter in the raven boy's hand. Taehyun doesn't know what he was seeking pleasure in. Playing with the blades or digging them into his paper and tearing them into bits. 

Beomgyu notices the sound of footsteps and he looks up, turning to where the sound was coming from. The confusion was written on his face when Kang Taehyun was making his way towards him, but the sight of his scrunched up face makes him break out into a grin. finally, something to entertain him.

"Well hello there,"

"What's your problem with me?" Taehyun hissed sharply, "Just tell me what it is, you've been picking at me since you saw me in the halls, and that was the first time I even _saw_ you,"

"My problem? What's _your_ -"

"I asked first,"

Taehyun stunned himself with his brusque tone but the thought of Beomgyu looking back at him with a smug and amused expression like this was some game to him only fueled his annoyance. Taehyun was usually stoic; unflappable. It seemed unfitting of him to snap. of course, if it weren't for his established feeling of protectiveness for his friends, considering he doesn't have a lot, to begin with.

When Beomgyu stays quiet, Taehyun takes his chance by blurting out his main point straight away,

"You- made hyuka cry,"

the other male must have thought the sentence was funny as he burst into laughter, the loud sound reverberated in the small, cold room, "What are we? _nine_? 'made him cry'?" he smirks, "What are you going to do, stand me in a corner?"

"You," he starts, "made him cry,"

"You," Beomgyu imitates, standing up, sounding less playfully than he had been two seconds ago. Their height difference wasn't big, actually, it was barely noticeable up close anyway, so he only had to look straight just to meet the other male's eyes, "said that already. You didn't plan this far, did you?" Now he looked bored, "don't worry, I couldn't care less about what you have to say anyway,"

Taehyun feels his vision clouding with red, "I-"

"That's cute," Beomgyu cuts him off, looking at the younger's (unintentional) clenched fist, "What are you playing at, buttercup? wanna punch me?" he adds with a playful teasing tone, poking at the younger's chest. A symphony of his laughter following as he throws his head back. Taehyun takes a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. He wasn't like Beomgyu, and he wasn't going to be.

"You're an asshole,"

"I'm flattered by the number of insults, Taehyun ah," his name rolls of Beomgyu's tongue so easily. He doesn't remember if he had heard his name come out of the older's mouth, but this one gave him a slight surprise. Beomgyu pays no mind, continuing, "Who is this Hyuka, anyways? Do you realize I make a lot of people cry as of late?"

"And that's something to be proud of?"

He shrugs, "is there anything else I can be proud of?"

Taehyun goes silent at that. And after the other's reply.

"So, you're _not_ going to punch me?" Beomgyu retorts, snorting as he sat back down, "shame. 'thought it was kinda endearing,"

.

Taehyun reads the clock when the lightning strikes as it had been the only source of light there was in the room at the moment. The dark clouds had taken over the pretty yellow streaks in the sky now. Rubbing his eyes, he doesn't even remember when he fell asleep, nor the conversation he had with the older. or the fact he was still (or, _is_ ) in detention. He prayed it was some sort of dream when he read the time. It was eight in the evening.

_Eight_ in the evening. Their school ended two hours ago. He slightly panics as a normal person should. He stands, trying to find out why the heck were they still inside the god dang room that was starting to get colder with the continuous sound of the drizzling rain on the rooftops. Taehyun stands up quickly, too quickly that it made the desk he had been laying his head on to fall down, down onto the floor with a loud rattle.

Beomgyu's eyes shot open and he jumps out of his seat at the noise, eyes shaking with fear, but when he sees the state they were in, he calms himself down, "dude, what the fuck?! If you wanted revenge, killing me with a heart attack is not id-"

"its eight in the evening," Taehyun breathes out, calmly telling him as though he was fine with it. of course, it wasn't. He was trying to keep a cool head, thinking of the possibilities and the worst-case scenarios. if Yoongi had done it on accident (which he really hopes was the case), he was just glad he was stuck indoors instead of outdoors, and that the next day was a school day. Though he didn't believe it himself, "Mr. Min didn't come for us... I think he forgot,"

"What?!" now Beomgyu was starting to panic. He really was one lose his cool quickly. He dashes over to the door, pushing the tables out of his way. His shirt got stuck one of them, but he ignores it and lets it tear. not that it'll create that much of a difference, anyway. Beomgyu was tattered even before he entered the classroom.

The panicked raven was grasping the handle and trying to push it down and out. When it didn't budge, he steps back, only to run and ram his shoulder right into the door. It rattles the slightest bit. He does it again; futile. 

"Why- how the hell could he forget about us?!"

"He probably had an important thing to do," Taehyun says, "Maybe he's with Mister Jung,"

"Are you saying he's _bonking_ that dance teacher while we're trapped in here?" Beomgyu asked, rubbing his shoulder.

Taehyun shrugs, "Possibly. Or-"

"Just... shut the fuck up,"

Taehyun looks down at his shoes that he could barely see, then his gaze shifted outside. The moon had already risen above the lit-up buildings, the glow emitted spilling through the windows and illuminating the tables the shape of the glass panes. Beomgyu's sharp, flashy cutter reflects the light onto Taehyun's eyes and he rapidly blinks, turning back.

"Can't we slot that thing in the door?" Taehyun asks, pointing to the sharp object. He had to be rational here. The only problem was that his bag was left outside, and the absolute _worst_ part was that he could see it through the small window by the door. It laid itself by the wall, painfully close to reaching but no matter how hard he tried, he could never take a grasp at it with the wall in between, trapping them. He curses silently for leaving his phone in it.

"There aren't any gaps, idiot," Beomgyu claims, looking at the space between the doorknob and frame, "you have to slide the door before pushing it open. what kind of advance shit is this..." he trails off to himself by the end, scratching his neck, pulls back. Taehyun had thought the raven male had given up, but it had been on the contrary when he only rolled his shoulders back, running and slam his shoulder into the door once more.

"Then you shouldn't do that. If you have to slide it, it won't open that way," Taehyun states as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world, "you're just going to h—"

"Shut up. Just _shut up, okay?_ " Beomgyu grits his teeth, his shoulder once again colliding with the wooden door that doesn't even budge an inch. The push does not work, nor does it rattle the door even the slightest. Taehyun watches as something akin to fear surfaces in his eyes and he stops and slumps, leaning against the wall and sliding down onto the floor, a mumble of what he could only assume was his array of colorful words leaving his lips, "This can't be happening, this can't...this is all your fault,"

"Me? I wasn't the one who was gone for almost a month because I was _lazy_ ," Taehyun dares himself to argue back, accusing him in the heat of the moment.

"I wasn't-" Beomgyu scowls at that, "I wasn't lazy, okay!? I was a-,"

Loud thunder boomed inside the class, making the two jump slightly. Silence pierces the cold air after.

Taehyun stands silently by the area where the moon shone, looking down at the raven boy who sat in the shadows, back against the door. He had pulled his knees to his chest, beginning to mumble to himself.

He doesn't know what to do, or what was happening. He walks over towards the door and gave it another firm push with his palms. nothing.

He exhales through his nose and looks down. Choi Beomgyu sat on the cold, dirty floor with his arms wrapped around himself as he seemed to shake more and more as each clap of thunder resonates within the empty school walls. Taehyun bites his bottom lip; a habit he does (which his sister always stops him from doing) whenever he was thinking. This wasn't what Taehyun expected from the person who laughed and called him nine for wanting an apology to act like when a thunderstorm came by.

"Beomgyu ssi-"

"Give it a rest," he hisses in annoyance. he sees Beomgyu take a deep breath, "It's locked,"

"Thanks for telling me," Taehyun answered in a _no shit_ tone.

"And it's raining," 

"It's been- actually, yeah," he sighs and nods, "It's raining,"

Silence follows after. The slight drizzle turns into heavy rain, the sound of it pelting harshly against the window and thunder lighting up the room made it seem like a storm was coming their way; which most likely would. The light from the window now cast the shadows of the water droplets as they race down the panes. The erratic breathing from the two slowly calms down.

Taehyun presses his back against the surface as well, wanting to sit down beside him by the door. at least if it were to be opened the next day, he'd be alerted with him. He was glad the cool surface was big enough for both of their small backs. He slides down, and just as he hit the bottom, two hands come up to push him by the shoulder, making him stumble forward and fall onto his chest at the unexpected shove from the priorly silent boy.

"No," He breathes out, "Go away," 

Taehyun wants to argue because _what the hell, he just sat there and Beomgyu decided to push him off?_ But a single glance from the older was enough to shut him up. and probably arise a hundred questions into his head.

Choi Beomgyu was hugging his knees, seemingly wanting to curl into a ball of himself. One of his hands gripped at his chest, crinkling the material of his already torn and dirty shirt. His eyes held rage, but if Taehyun squints hard enough, he sees the fear. The trepidation. As if the flash of lighting and being locked in brought memories into his head that messed him up.

"Go away!" Beomgyu repeats, his voice rising.

Taehyun merely nods, leaving the boy with curious eyes to the back of the classroom a little further away from the door. A corner, sandwiched with two enormous bookshelves, he sat down and rest his head.

.

Taehyun must've dozed off because, at one point, he was having fun, eating tteokbokki with his friends and Hobak on fluffy, cotton-like white clouds overviewing the lit-up city of Seoul in Hanboks, and the next he hears the sound of whimpering. And the first thing he sees were, not tteokbokki or the night skyscrapers, but a small puddle and a damp feeling on his head in the dead of the night.

His back cracked with every little movement he did. He looked up and when his eyes readjusted to the darkness, he remembers where he was. The cold tiles were a dead giveaway. He sits up and grimaces. Sleeping on the floor really wasn't the best idea, but was there really another option?

Taehyun feels something wet dripping onto his head. he looks up and a droplet of water lands on his nose. He quickly wipes it away, moving to dry spot. The roof was leaking and a small puddle was next to where he had laid down. Taehyun wipes his mouth to make sure he wasn't drooling and thankfully it was dry. still raining?

A roar of thunder proves his suspicions correct. He flinches, before standing up to brush himself. His school uniform was crumpled now, there was no way he could straighten it with a simple press with his palms. He tilts his head back when he felt his neck starting to ache.

The whimpering noise catches his attention again.

Taehyun looked around the room, and he remembers that he wasn't alone. he spots a small body by the door, unmoving. Taehyun assumes he was asleep until he reaches closer.

The sight of a shaking figure catches his attention as his feet bring him closer, pushing past the desks and chairs until he reached the dark wooden door in front of the class. Light from the thunder blinded him for a moment, the sound causing Taehyun to flinch and cover his ears. The flash seemed close. He hopes it'll end soon. He opens his eyes when the rumbling stopped, and let his eyes adjust to the darkness.

There wasn't anyone else other than Choi Beomgyu and him in the classroom, so he wasn't the least bit shocked to see him there. But what did raise his curiousness was the way he looked so vulnerable. You'd say he was what he had done to countless people, to him, was indeed a fact.

The other thing was, Beomgyu was awake. He wasn't asleep, nor was he having a nightmare. His eyes were wide open, staring into Taehyun's when he met them. They were glassy, like a mirror, and the only thing it was reflecting was fear. He looked as though he was afraid, terrified. _Of the rain?_ Taehyun can only assume that. He steps closer and he instinctively covers himself with his hands, and he realizes Beomgyu was scared of him.

Taehyun was taken aback.

"Hyung?" Taehyun calls out to the male, dropping the honorific. Despite staring into his eyes, it was evident that the older male was not looking at him. It was like his mind was somewhere far away. The rain pelted the windows harshly, and the thunder was rattling them with every shake. It was cold, and Taehyun merely wore his button-up school shirt. He silently curses for taking off his vest in the hallways before entering the classroom.

When he didn't reply, he stands up, not wanting to engage and most likely worsen what Beomgyu was putting himself through. He knew it was insensitive of him, but this was Beomgyu he was talking about. Taehyun assumes it was just the rain and thunder shaking up the petite boy, so he decided to find something around the class so the boy could at least sleep comfortably, even if he wouldn't remember Taehyun helping him in the morning.

To think such a scary (Taehyun would say big, but compared to his two other friends who had pinned Taehyun in the cafeteria not a month ago, he was a complete stick) person like Choi Beomgyu was afraid of thunder. The younger wasn't mean, but he found it quite funny.

He feels a strong, tight grip on his arm when he stood. He looks down and noticed the raven had shot up and grabbed him. 

"Hey, what are you doing-" Taehyun asked gently, trying to shake out of his grip, but his hold gradually got tighter, and tighter, "Stop- ouch, hyung-"

Beomgyu seemed to me mumbling incoherently, his eyes pressed tight. Lightning struck again and the boy shuts his eyes. Taehyun observes how his chest rises and falls, quicker, this time. His grip loosens a little, but the panic doesn't leave him.

_"-mom_ ," Taehyun catches one of Beomgyu's small mumbles, and he furrows his eyebrows

"Mom?"

" _don't leave me_ ," he bursts into tears, mouth falling to let out a suppressed sob, and Taehyun crouches down in sheer panic. what was happening to him?

"Hey- i-it's just thunder-"

" _I had no choice_ ," Beomgyu cries louder, and the thunder had struck right outside their window. The lightning did not come with the noise, instead, the came both together. Rattling the windows and shaking the floor. Taehyun couldn't hear what Beomgyu was whimpering out afterward as the rain seem to swallow the sound inside the room. His cries included.

He had remembered Hyerin telling him yesterday it would rain hard, but he did not expect a full-blown storm like this. Taehyun was a light sleeper and even sleeping with headphones wouldn't block out this noise.

He focuses back onto the shaking boy. Beomgyu had finally let go of his hand, hugging his knees and pressing his eyes into the dirty, torn fabric.

Beomgyu was not in the right mind, Taehyun could tell that far. He sits next to the boy carefully, not wanting him to flinch like he had before but it seemed like he was crying harder as time went by. He sits down next to him, back against the door and his shoulders touching. Taehyun wasn't good at comforting, not even to his closest friends, but he hoped that his presence there was enough to stop the older boy from crying.

It seemed to do the trick when Beomgyu slowly unwrapped from himself and slowly, as if trying not to be noticed, grabs Taehyun's arms. linking his elbows with the younger. Taehyun tried not to move, it took everything in him not to push him away and run for the hills. It was so... so weird to see him like this.

But Beomgyu doesn't do anything besides laying his head on Taehyun's shoulder, followed by sniffles and soon enough after minutes, ( _maybe hours? Taehyun had lost count when the lightning stopped, preventing him to see the time that was now cast with a shadow)_ light snoring.

Taehyun didn't get any sleep that night. He kept his eyes wide open, in deep thought with the weight added to his shoulder. The droplets of rain cast a shadow on the ground from the window, illuminated by the moon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for any mistakes !! (◕ܫ◕✿)
> 
> twt and cc : @paintgyu


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am: s o p e t r a s h

_the same night_

The moon adorns the night sky like a painting hung under lights in a dull museum behind velvet ropes. Something beautiful that you could only admire from afar. Stars out and littered across the dark sky, bringing with them the cold breeze and ocean waves that crash against the sand below the lit up and cozy, open-air restaurant. Despite the gleam of the lights and candles surrounding the balcony, the stars hanging above their heads were still visible with their eyes alone.

The candle in the middle of their small, round, perfect for two table blows out again after a gust of wind passes. Jung Hoseok pouts at the smoke dancing in the wind.

"There really isn't a way to keep the flame alive, Hobi," Yoongi chuckles at his boyfriend who started to strike another match to light the wax up again.

"And what makes you say that?"

"We're outside. There's wind,"

"And I have determination. Bet the outside doesn't have that," Hoseok claps his hand when the candles light up again, fire burning on the candlewick. Though not a moment later it blows out once more, taking with it the soot. He slumps in his seat and pulls up his hoodie, tugging at the strings of it like a child.

"Oh come on, now. It's just a candle," Yoongi shook his head, hand reaching out to touch the hardening wax that dripped by the side. He hisses a little when his skin accidentally came in contact with the molten, pulling his finger back and shaking it to get rid of the sticky substance.

" _Just a candle_ ," Hoseok mimics his boyfriend playfully. He sits back upright and reaches across the table, grabbing Yoongi's injured finger and giving it a slight peck. The music teacher rolls his eyes.

"Cheesy,"

"Only for you," Yoongi scoffs

"Stop it, gosh," the oldest of them pull away to cover at his red face with his slender fingers.

"Come on, what happened this morning at work? You seemed really tense. Heard you snapped at a student," Hoseok gently removes Yoongi's hands from covering his face, voice soft, "Something bothering you?"

"The principal..." Yoongi groans and Hoseok understood. The principal of that school wasn't a brainless man, in fact, he was pretty smart. It was just that he acted carelessly, at times. Deciding things on a whim instead of holding a meeting and hearing what the other teachers would think about his (usually bad) choices. Hoseok feels like this was one of them.

"God, the fucker- " (Hoseok frowns at him for that)," demanded me to fill in for one of the teachers,"

"What do you mean...demanded? fill in?" Hoseok questions, his face inches from Yoongi's, "What for? Don't tell me its more classes..."

"I wish that was the case," Yoongi sighs deeply, pulling his hands back to rub at his temple, "Apparently there's a music video making competition or something down in Busan. The teacher who was supposed to accompany the students broke his leg and can't make it,"

"At this time?" Hoseok frowned, "Why can't he just go over in crutches or a wheelchair or something?"

"That's what I told him!" Yoongi shoots up, leaning back into his chair with a look of exasperation and Hoseok eases him with his hands, asking him to calm down a little. Yoongi releases yet another soft sigh, "But he said he couldn't be able to stand months in a wheelchair. Son of a- "

"Woah, Woah, Woah, back up. Did you just say _months_?" Yoongi nods, "What about your class? Don't they have an important something as well?"

"Yeah, their music project. It's something new for them and the process was supposed to be all under my supervision,"

"Did they put that fact into consideration?"

"Guess not," Hoseok frowns at his lover's dejected tone. His boyfriend doesn't always get upset. In fact, he doesn't show his emotions out loud most of the time. But the obvious pout unknowingly forming on his cherry red lips made Hoseok's heartache.

"Can't you reject?" he reaches his out to grab at Yoongi's small hands, encasing them in his larger ones once more, their fingers naturally intertwining with each other's. Yoongi laughs softly at that. _Cheesy_ , he thinks again. Hoseok was a really touchy person; something he couldn't get used to back when they just started going out (but now he did, and he always would, if it was for him.)

"It's mandatory,"

"Yikes,"

"Tell me about it,"

It was absolutely absurd how the school had a handful of staff who would probably be more than happy to take the position (probably seeing it as an excuse for a vacation), but they had to choose Yoongi out of all of them. If they had given him some sort of extra payment after it, he would've tried to consider. But instead, they basically shoved him in a train and told him to do a task for months, without giving him a choice.

"You said it takes months?" Hoseok finally spoke back up, "Why?"

"The music video is supposed to be shot at a specific location," Yoongi replies, sounding like he had memorized what the form had stated, "They compose the songs themselves, but the location for filming is the same. The hag of a principal says its 'to see how creative one can be', but I think it's just because they have no trust that the contestants would take videos on their own,"

"Really?"

"I know, I never heard of anything like it either. The next thing you know, this filming thing could be a trap to lure contestants for a jungle escape show,"

Hoseok glares at him for that, and Yoongi shrugs.

"But still..." the Hoseok leans back, circling his finger around the glass filled with red wine, "Months? Sounds like you're attending some sort of camp. Plus, Busan... don't tell me you're required to stay there?"

Yoongi's shoulders slumped. Hoseok frowns.

"Hey," the latter called out, reaching to run his fingers in Yoongi's messy dark locks, "It's in a few weeks, right? Let's not dwell on the thought, for now, Yoongi ah," he smiles, poking his cheek, "Come on, what else happened tonight?"

Yoongi sits back and thinks for a moment, then his mind lands on the two students in his class. A smile slowly makes its way back onto his lips.

"Well, there is the two,"

"Taehyun and Beomgyu?" Hoseok knew them by heart from the number of stories Yoongi had told him, he talked so fondly of them one would've thought that they were his own children, "What did they get themselves into this time?"

"I sent them into detention," Yoongi smirks, folding his arms as if his statement had solved something, "It was a perfect opportunity, I wouldn't throw it away,"

"I know you wouldn't. It's one of the things I love about you," Hoseok chortles. His lover was really amusing, at times. Adorable and determined; little did he know, he was also forgetful, "How long did they stay?"

Yoongi thinks for a moment, his legs propped on top of the other. When _did_ he release them? It had hit him that he had forgotten the time.

Before he could ponder for too long, their waiter arrives with their meals in hand. Steak, and another bottle of wine. They dine in comfortable silence, with occasional jokes that somehow flowed towards talks about their future. Yoongi forgets about their conversation after three glasses.

.

"That was nice," Hoseok says, swinging Yoongi's hand in his as they made their way down the sidewalk that leads to the latter's apartment. It was late, so there weren't a lot of people out. Which was great for them; now there wasn't going to be anyone calling them out for being with each other. It used to be really bad, well, it kind of still was. It was just a routine for them now. Some people in the city really didn't like to see a guy with another guy being affectionate. Yoongi finds it mildly amusing how their mindsets were so fixed and closed.

"Yeah," Yoongi saw his apartment in the distance, just across the street and turns to him, "You sure you're not going to stay? We're not teenagers anymore, you know. You could just stay with me tonight."

Hoseok hums, brushing his thumb across Yoongi's cheeks, "I'm sorry, love. I have to see Namjoon tonight," At the mention of his name, Yoongi drags a long exhale, "See you tomorrow, okay? Don't sleep late, again."

Namjoon was their best friend, a producer for very big labels. these days he had been asking Hoseok for a favor; something relating to his music. Probably dance. Maybe. Yoongi doesn't bother thinking too much about it; he left that industry years ago.

"Do you have to?" Yoongi asks.

"Look at you, whining," Hoseok coos, finding it absolutely adorable. He pinches the older's cheeks, thumbs gently caressing the soft skin, and Yoongi deadpans. Hoseok giggles, "I'll make it up tomorrow, pick you up before work, yeah? Stop by and grab coffee for you,"

"Coffee doesn't make up for missing a night of sex,"

"So, you _were_ just bringing me home for a happy ending!" Hoseok exclaims, patting his head, "Another day, hyung, promise. Now get inside, jeez, aren't you cold? I think it's about to storm,"

Yoongi clings onto his finger when Hoseok let's go, not wanting him to leave yet. Hoseok smiles.

"Clingy,"

"Shut up,"

The younger laughs, fully enveloping his hands once more. His fingers brush over his boyfriend's digits, humming.

"I like the way your hand fits in mine," he mumbles, "Come here,"

He pulls Yoongi into his arms and cards his fingers through the older's hair before pulling him into his shoulder. It was at the wee hours of the night like this when Hoseok sees the true person Yoongi was. Fragile and gentle, only when the moon had tucked itself into the clouds and their heads were roofed with a mess of stars. When the streets were cold, wet, and the trees rustled with the wind that made their cheeks turn pink. Streets dark but the dots of orange painting them. A silence comfortable, until broken.

"You're a really intimate," Yoongi mumbles, his voice muffled.

"Would you ever let me be soft in peace?"

"Sorry,"

Hoseok pulls away and shakes his head, chuckling softly. He presses a soft kiss on the crown of Yoongi's head and let's go of his hands, not leaving until he saw his boyfriend enter his apartment safely.

.

The next day, Yoongi realizes that he is a _huge_ fucking idiot

It only hits him the morning after, when he woke up feeling slightly drowsy from the wine he drank the night before. Thinking back, he finds it funny how Hoseok was sober enough to walk him home and go to Joon's place after.

Yoongi dreads work that day. Not only does he have to stay back an extra couple of hours so he could attend a briefing with the student for the filming contest, but he also had to take care of his music students and break the news to them that their project would probably have to be postponed.

Yoongi scratches his already fluffed up bed hair, squinting at the dull light making his curtains glow. The sun was still asleep, so it seemed. He remembers that he also has to take care of Beomgyu and Taehyun, as well. The two rascals. Sending them to detention was really a good idea, probably the best Yoongi had come up with. Although the reason for it was absolute bullshit, he still knew they would at least come around when they come out.

Wait

_When they come out?_

Yoongi halts dead in his tracks when that thought crosses his mind, right there in his hallway, his eyes went as wide as saucers, body going rigid and instantly waking up. His hands come up to grip at his hair and a feeling of extreme _dread_ pumped through his veins as he just froze. Oh, Yoongi was so fucking done for.

_Oh God, I just locked up two students in a room overnight. what the hell, what kind of teacher am I supposed to be, what the heck, I'm so, so done. I'm going to get fired and become homeless, and Hoseok's going to break up with me and that's it for me. This is it. Great fucking job, Min Yoongi._

He glances at his bedside, where the clock flashes a red _six in the evening._ He knew Hoseok would be there in fifteen minutes or so to pick him up as promised, but Yoongi couldn't just sit there and wait for his lover to pull up in his car with the thought of knowing he caged kids (with one of them being at the other's throat and would be happy to attack at any given time), all while he was on a romantic dinner date with his boyfriend. And thinking about fucking him right after. _Yoongi was really the worst._

Hastily, he rushed in his bathroom and takes the shortest shower ever (which was probably just a rinse, he really didn't have the time to think). He barely manages to not trip on the water he left from his dripping hair when he finishes, slipping into his clothes, running outside without even checking the mirror. His hands fist his car keys, and he drives off to the school. Praying to whatever was listening to him for both of them to be still alive, and he would be met with the school in one piece

.

Thankfully, both boys and the school was in one piece. 

Yoongi doesn't think he had ever run so quickly in the halls before. Or ever, at that matter. If it were a student doing as he was, he would've yelled at them already for not following the rules. (He doesn't know if he was being a hypocrite or if it was okay since, you know, he sort of worked there).

The halls were absolutely empty that he could hear his own footsteps bouncing off the walls, save for a few janitors who were cleaning up the halls. Yoongi ran past one who was erasing rude words off a board. Yoongi had a feeling he knows who wrote them, even if he didn't stop to check the handwriting. He wouldn't be surprised if it was Beomgyu's rowdy group of friends.

Yoongi thanks the heavens that he had arrived on time, seeing the janitor still pushing his cart towards the room (If there was a dead body, which he _hopes not_ , at least let it be him who sees it first; he prays). He zooms past them until he saw the two bags in a heap outside of the room, just as he had left it yesterday and fumbles with the keys, pushing one into the hole and sliding the door open, pulling the handle, and looking around.

The room was still and he pants, tired. It was dark and smelled of rain. Yoongi had fallen asleep the second he had arrived home that he didn't even realize it. There was a huge puddle of water in the corner of the room that had water leaking from the roof, and the tables were a mess. But he couldn't spot the boys anywhere, and his anxiety spiked.

Just as he lifts his foot to walk over, he sees two bodes on the floor right in front of him, laying right beside the door and facing each other. Both peacefully asleep. Alive and uninjured. Yoongi let's out a sigh of relief and his shoulders sagged, unintentionally dropping the large bundle of keys right onto the floor.

Yoongi should really be more careful.

The noise had caused the two boys to wake up instantly like an alarm. Taehyun's eyes shooting open and blinking several times, clearly confused on _what the heck was that_ and _where the heck am I_ , while Beomgyu had flinched harshly, backing up only to bump his head onto the metal part of the table that was right behind him. Instinctively, he hissed, shutting his eyes and quickly brought his head to hold in his hands but the speed caused him to bump his forehead onto poor Taehyun's head- the kid still rubbing at his eyes- with a loud and obviously painful _thunk._

Yoongi hides a small laugh behind his pursed lips, shoulders shaking. It was so _comical,_ how he had dropped his keys and caused the two to wake each other up with the painful head-banging. The two pair of eyes trail their gaze from his slippers ( _slippers_ , Yoongi couldn't believe himself), and meets his eyes.

"Hello, boys," Yoongi smiles, as if he hadn't just been having a mini panic attack and was convinced they were dead.

The first thing he notices was Beomgyu's extremely puffy eyes. They were obvious from a mile away. The boy had looked like he spent his time in isolation bawling his eyes out. He could barely even open them, and when he squinted, he looked as if he was shutting his eyes. Beomgyu's mouth was agape, his pretty lips parted in a shocked look, and sniffled. Yoongi found him adorable. In contrast to what he usually was.

Taehyun was the calmer one. He rubbed at his head, clearly having zero sleep that night. He was the first to break the agonizing silence. Before Beomgyu had broken the entire tension with a screech.

"Mister Min... why-"

"You left us here on _purpose_!"

.

Taehyun did not want to think about what happened the night before. 

Fifteen minutes before the first bell rang, Taehyun found himself having breakfast on a bench outside of school, where Kai had just arrived, bouncing on the balls of his feet and gripping his backpack. His eyes widened in delight when he saw Taehyun sitting alone.

"There you are! you promised to get me dinner yesterday, Hyung! Where were you after classe-woah! Taehyun hyung, your clothes absolutely reek-!" Kai scooched over like the dramatic person he was to the far side of the bench, inchmeal. Not wanting to be near the older at all, "Did you put your clothes in the laundry basket and used it again without washing it?!"

"No," Taehyun replies plainly, stuffing his cheeks with the tuna sandwich he bought off the breakfast menu at the canteen. Yoongi had given them a lunch pass out of guilt (and probably so they won't report him), to get whatever they wanted. Beomgyu had refused the offer and walked ( _ran_ , he had ran) out of the room after Yoongi explained. Taehyun, from the corner of his eyes, saw that Beomgyu was furiously rubbing at his eyes. 

"Then...?" Kai continues to ask, "No offense hyung, but this is probably your worst look this year. and you had like... a lot of bad looks,"

"I was in detention, okay!" Taehyun snaps, causing the younger to flinch, "Sorry, Kai,"

Kai shakes his head to dismiss it, "Wait, but that doesn't explain it, though... did you have it overnight or something?" Taehyun nods and Kai's suspicion only grows, "What?! That's crazy! _You_ , in _detention_?"

"Emphasizing the words like that really rubs salt in the wound,"

"A-Ah, I'm sorry, hyungie! I'm just... wow, I've never heard of it! Is this the end of the world?"

"Not helping," Taehyun mumbles tiredly, and Kai frantically apologizes again.

He knew Kai had a lot of questions, but he wasn't in the mood to answer them, at that time. He was tired. Really fucking tired. He was planning on taking a nap during free period in the library later that day to recharge. That would hopefully get him through the rest of the day.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud Kai, jumping with questions again.

"Were you alone? How did you even get to detention in the first place?!"

Taehyun shakes his head, "Long story,"

"Doesn't Mister Chen take care of detention students? I swear he always does! the last time I was in detention, I don't think he even blinked!"

That catches Taehyun's interest, "You were in detention?"

"it was a month ago," he rubbed his nape, "cheated in chemistry,"

"figures,"

He quietly finishes his sandwich afterward. Offering a piece to Kai, but the younger politely declines, saying he was already (and always will be) full in the morning because his sister never lets him or his younger sibling out of the house without breakfast. if only Hyerin were like that.

the thought of Hyerin had him look down at his almost dead phone in his lap. his sister and mother had tried to call him several times, the notification that read thirty missed calls stares back at him when a new message notification from his classmate in their class group chat pops up.

"I can't tell them," Taehyun crumbles the plastic, tucking it into his pocket.

"that's kind of inevitable,"

"Dad is already disappointed in me for taking music as an optional subject," he leans back against the wooden bench, tipping his head back and shutting his eyes. He would be really fucking screwed if his parents found out that he got detention, and for the optional subject that they didn't approve of him taking, at that matter. Taehyun knew it wasn't his fault he was there, anyway. He never knew to be Choi Beomgyu's music partner came with being responsible for his actions as well.

Taehyun lets out a soft sigh.

The school bus had just arrived, telling them it was already eight. in a few more minutes the bell would ring, signaling the start of another painful day.

"you know they're going to see it in your report card, hyung," Kai pats the younger's thigh. a sympathetic look in his eyes, "but you could maybe talk to the person sending you to detention to have it removed. I mean, it was kind of unfair that he held you overnight..."

Taehyun's eyes widened at that. of _course_. Out of all of the school staff and teachers, he felt like he was the closest to Yoongi, these days. (he came in second, of course, after the friendly librarian who only came on Tuesdays and Thursdays who always let Taehyun stay past the time it closed just to use the laptop while he arranges books.) And plus, Taehyun could easily threaten him by telling the principal that he kept them overnight if he refuses. It was evil, but he was desperate.

"Kai, you're an absolute genius,"

the guy beams beside him as if he doesn't get that a lot. or often. or at all. "I know, I get that all the time,"

"Now you're back to being an idiot,"

"you _just_ said I was a genius!"

the students briskly walk past them. some hand in hand, others while listening to music. Kai's classmate, Sanha, skateboards past them, giving them a small wave. Beside him, Rowoon gives them a smile from his bike. Huening Kai's voice talks over the silence.

"hyung,"

"yeah?"

"about the thing with... him,"

"Beomgyu?"

Kai turns to him with a panicked expression, pressing his finger to his lip, "shh! he could still be here!"

"Kai, seriously-," Taehyun tries to bite the finger, but the younger pulls it back with a loud yelp, "At this rate, we're going to be calling him 'You Know Who', what is he? the dark Lord?"

"in some alternate universe," Kai mumbles, shivering, "but still, I haven't told you the thing I wanted to in the hall,"

the bell rings, and Kai groans beside him, "I thought that only happens in Netflix movies,"

Taehyun gives him an odd look, and Kai continues, "You know! the bell cutting you off when you're about to say something important. Sounds humorous,"

"Can't you just tell me now?"

The younger shakes his head, "Soon!"

"Fine. Class is about to start, anyway," Taehyun stands, "I have something to tell you about him as well. something that happened when I had detention with him,"

"So you had detention with _him_? Oh hyung!" Kai wriggles his eyebrows, "did you... finally resolve your differences?"

he earned himself a well-deserved smack to the head with the thick English dictionary Taehyun was holding, "Don't think like that. For someone who's afraid of the name, you're really, _really_ weird,"

"It was just the way you worded i- ouch!" Kai receives another smack with the thick book, he steps back and laughs.

"You're making me have second thoughts,"

"no! no! tell me! I like tea!" he beams, "You know, the 'gossip' tea, not- "

Taehyun rolls his eyes, "I know what tea is,"

"Great! let's meet after school! Don't forget you still have to treat me! Tell me all about detention with the dark lord as well!"

Taehyun gives him a small smile. Huening Kai was really energetic, and he would be lying if he said the energy didn't rub off on him, "Alright, then. see you,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is hyuka so energetic ?? (yes, there is a reason!!) we'll see in the next chapter !! (*≧▽≦)


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maybe Huening Kai has a lil teeny tiny itsy bitsy little tiny cr**h (maybe)

Kai Kamal Huening jogs down the stairs out his house following the sound of his oldest sister, Lea's nagging.

"You two- how many times do I have to tell you both to clean the dishes after breakfast before you leave?" she points a ladle that she randomly grabbed off the kitchen counter towards Kai, then to his youngest sister, Bahiyyih, back and forth between the two as she tries to look as threatening as possible, which doesn't seem to work for the two siblings.

"Ah right- sorry, sis, but 'm late!" Bahi waves cutely, trying (and unfortunately for Kai, succeeding) to escape from the extra chore, lying through her teeth and running off with a piece of toast between her lips.

"It's literally six in the morning," Kai glares at her to which she returns with a mischievous grin on her way. He slowly tries to walk away as well, only to earn a distant _ahem_ from the older figure.

"Oh come on, you let Bahi leave but not me? That's unfair!" Kai pouts to her, hoping his cuteness would buy him out of the situation as well. He only receives an eye roll.

"She helped make dinner last night. Get back in here," Lea exclaims

He sighs, turning on his heel to stomp back like a child into his house and finish cleaning.

It was a routine for them, ever since their parents passed away. Lea was old enough to work and provide for the two, dropping out of school early just to take care of them so they wouldn't have to stay with any relatives or be sent to the orphanage. It was a huge sacrifice, there had been so much stress on her shoulders that period. 

Kai knew his sister had wanted to be a singer, an _idol_ , but the current situation they were in- the need for money- only allows her such little time to train, or none at all, that she ends up giving up her dreams. She now works as a waitress in a popular restaurant an hour's drive from their place that paid just enough for the three. It was hard, but despite that, she had never complained. all she wanted was a great life for the two. Kai was greatly thankful to have someone like her.

"You going somewhere?" Kai questions as he dries his hand on his pants, getting the droplets of water all over his school attire. He glances at his sister who had just left her room wearing decent clothing- for once not in her pajamas and bunny slippers that she always spends the day in. Lounging on the couch and watching TV, waiting for the two to return from school so she could go to work for the night. A daily routine.

"Grocery shopping," She steps into the kitchen, grabbing an apple out of their fruit bowl and fixing her hair in the mirror by the console table.

"You just went shopping yesterday, though..."

"So?" she snaps, turning to him. Kai gives her an odd look.

"Yeesh what's up with you? woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" He looks at her up and down, "You even have your hair done. And makeup? What, got a hot date or something?"

"Just get to school!"

Kai's eyes widened at that, "So you do-!"

"Alright, get out!"

She shoves his bag into his arms and ushers him out the door and he laughs, finding the frantic state of his sister amusing.

the door shuts with a slam and Kai turns around, slinging his bag across his shoulder, humming. what a lovely start to his day.

His feet take him down the familiar path of the sidewalk to the house a little further. he memorized this by now, having walked since he started high-school. He and Taehyun lived in the same neighborhood with the school only outside of it, so taking the bus really weren't necessary.

He stops outside the familiar white-walled house, his eyes following the slight crack on the wall up to Taehyun's room. The curtains in his best friend's room were shut, which was extremely weird. Usually, Taehyun would leave them open until Kai arrives to show that he was going to walk with him. Kai merely shrugs, Taehyun probably had something to do early in school. Kai turns around to walk away.

Whenever Kai walks with the older boy, he always felt like he could let himself be, _well_ , himself. He felt like a nuisance whenever he was with anyone who didn't know him well. He felt as if he had to be wary around certain people just so they wouldn't make fun of him. He had friends other than the short raven, of course, but when he met Taehyun and let all his walls down, Taehyun never gave him a reason to put them back up. He accepted that Kai was weird and wonderful in his own way. 

A year after he met Taehyun, Choi Soobin had made himself at home in their little friend group.

The first time Huening Kai met the soft, tall senior was the day Kai had offered to help his Chemistry teacher carry lab equipment to the lab across the building. He had definitely underestimated the weight of the items, struggling to even balance the fragile beakers and their racks in the tub to even look at where he was walking. He had only begun to get the hang of it when he felt his shoulder smack onto a solid chest; someone frantically running, obviously in a hurry. It sent half of the apparatuses flying and shattering towards the ground, shards hitting his skin when he tries to cover himself.

Soobin had felt absolutely _guilty_ that day that, apologizing on the verge of tears that Kai didn't have the heart to hold a grudge against him. He had personally walked into the teacher's staff and took the blame right after he escorted (literally, he acted like Huening Kai was going to die) towards the nurse's office. For a week after that, the tall male had made up with him by buying food from the cafeteria every lunch hour, eventually meeting Taehyun. The two got off immediately, talking about nothing and everything at the same time.

On days Taehyun had to attend extra hours for his music class, Kai spent them with Soobin.

Soobin was different. He was shy and loving, always telling Kai not to skip dinner or offer to take him to a restaurant or cafe nearby for it. He loved to take him to the park with his dog Sean, jokingly saying how they both have the same attributes with being hyper and loud.

He was there for him whenever he doubted himself, in the hours when his insecurities get to him, even when he needed him at days when the sun just peeks above the clouds and the sky spilled with apricot, he knew he could always call his Soobin hyung to talk, and he'd be right there picking up on the first ring.

Soobin was his safe space, just as Taehyun was. But with Soobin, it always felt different. After school with him never lead him straight home, instead brought them to late-night walks to the furthest convenience store they could go to, buying ice cream together when the sun nestled itself behind tall buildings, turning the whole city dark. Soobin consistently tries to pay for the ice cream, never letting Kai even pull out his money. Their nights would lead them to walk around the bustling city, taking the train to different parts and watching street performers, buying random and useless items that always brings a laugh to their faces until they felt tired. Only then they would return home.

Soobin radiates an energy around him. Whenever they were together, Kai always felt included. He felt understood. The way Soobin would comfort him, placing a warm hand on his back and listening to his woes and worries with a deep gaze, warmed something in him. There were times when it was Soobin who was stressed, but wanting to hide it from him because he thought that as the older one, he had to be the one who was comforting him, and not the opposite (Huening Kai scoffs at that; _ridiculous_ )

His smile could cause an entire room to light up. It was like the stars that made a night brighter than it would normally, or like the soft glow of the sunrise over the city. Whenever his dimples made a presence and whenever he covers his face to laugh at a silly joke, Huening Kai felt warm. As if someone had wrapped him in a blanket, he feels his cheeks grow hotter, and his fingers going clammy. The slightest touch sent a feeling of a thousand fireworks alight in him; like a swarm of butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Like he was about to throw up. (in a good way. It felt like he could throw up rainbows, or cupcakes- he felt like the description said for itself)

To be short; Huening Kai may or may not have _sliiiight_ feelings towards the older

and he knows, oh how he knows.

He doesn't label his sexuality, so he wasn't at all surprised when he realized that what he felt for Soobin was, indeed, a crush. The thought of his adorable bunny hyung made him excited to attend school that day. Sure, Taehyun did ditch him yesterday, but he didn't pick up his phone either. So, he assumes that he had his own matter.

When Kai had thought their friend group was perfect, even at an odd number, another senior by the name of Choi Yeonjun had joined their friend group. A tall, pain strikingly handsome boy with incredibly bright neon hair. At the thought, Kai slows down in his walk a little.

Yeonjun had squeezed himself in their already perfect three friend group the day he entered school. Some people had said he was expelled from his last school due to sleeping with a teacher, but when they asked about it, Yeonjun had merely told them that he was not expelled, but just moved. And a lot of people apparently hated him in that school, so of course, they spread rumors about him. Because what else would you do if you hated someone and they moved? Ruin their chances in another school, of course.

But Yeonjun wasn't anything bad. In fact, Yeonjun was the contrary. He was loud and funny. With his eagerly desperate and failed attempts of cringy dad jokes, he fitted well in their little group of ambiverts. He was an extrovert, a really loud one, and kai liked him a lot. He had dance as his optional subject just like Kai did. Yeonjun was a huge change in their friend group.

What used to be silent group studies in the library turned into studying at the bleachers (on their own accord, of course), to support Yeonjun as he played football, the sport that had turned his reputation that started with the rumor right around. Now, the glances people gave him whenever he walked through the halls weren't a look of disgust, but a look of pure admiration. Months after he moved he had love letters piled up in his lockers to the point the small slot in it had them coming out. Everyone's view on him changed, and of course, the three were glad.

But Yeonjun never left their friend group even when he somehow got popular with the students. Despite being invited to huge groups during lunch, he would always go to the three's table. After school, he would attend hangouts and reject anyone else's offer to hang out with him. And that made Kai realize that Yeonjun was actually, a pretty decent person.

Whenever they studied at the bleachers, Kai could never concentrate. He would lay on his stomach (Taehyun didn't like it when he did this, but he completely ignores the older boy's warnings) and swing his feet, elbows propped on the chair and chins rested on them with his book out in front, highlighters strewn over it. The loud and constant whistling from the players made him forget which line he was reading, and the wind was so _fucking cold._ And wheneverhe wears padded jackets, he just feels like falling asleep. Not to mention the fear of the ball being kicked right onto his head and the possibility of him going unconscious and having amnesia.

But that wasn't the only thing that was bothering him about studying there.

Whenever Kai looks up to call Soobin to ask questions, he would see the boy looking up from his notes as well. But not to meet his eyes.

Soobin always had his eyes fixated on the yellow-haired boy fondly. He had a soft, fond expression as he looked at Yeonjun running across the field after he scored another goal for his team, arms out and pretending he was flying. The sun was in the middle of setting, and the light left cast a glow on the older's features. Soobin tilted his head and squinted to take a better look at Yeonjun; and smiled gently. The wind blows his hair into a rumpled mess, but Soobin merely tucks it back into place with a pat to his own head. Kai could've sworn Yeonjun throws flying kisses his way as well.

Yeonjun was like a pebble that interrupted calm water, causing waves to ripple and the surroundings to be affected. Kai sighs as he sees he reached school. There wasn't time for overthinking now.

He feels a vibration from his phone and saw a text message from Soobin, a simple, _good morning, ning!_ _Goodluck for your algebra test today ! do you want to meet up after school? let's have bingsu!,_ and Kai's mood instantly lifted, the offer almost making him cry in happiness. He decides to reply a little later just to make sure Soobin doesn't think he's always on his phone waiting for his text (even if it's probably true).

He sports Taehyun sitting on the bench outside of his school and he releases a breath he didn't realize he held, relief washing over him. He was glad that Taehyun hadn't been kidnapped while waiting for Kai who got released out of class late. He raises his arm, calling out to the boy.

"Taehyunie!" he yells, and Taehyun's eyes shot open. Huening Kai then realizes how tired he looked. There were visible bags under his eyes and his shoulders were slumped, leaning back onto the couch. In his hands was a fresh sandwich and a water bottle; he looked like he got kicked out of his house, "Are you alright, Hyunnie...?"

Taehyun yawns, covering his mouth with the back of his hands and nods. Kai was not convinced.

And that's how they end up sitting on the bench in front of school at after dawn, casually watching as the stars hide themselves when the sun rises, turning the calm, dark sky bright, watching people walking into the school gates on their phones or half asleep.

The bell rings, and Huening Kai runs to class after saying goodbye to his best friend, with a promise of meeting each other after to talk and make up for yesterday's absence. 

Soobin's message gets left on read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)whydoilovehurtingmysidecharacters;)
> 
> ++next chap will be the continuation of the chapter before this!11!! this is just a backstory for taehyun's supportive bff kai ^0^


	27. Chapter 27

Taehyun felt like he could fall asleep at any given moment.

After parting with Kai, he stumbles himself into the bathroom to wash the drowsiness off his face. He was exhausted; eyes droopy to the point that he could fall into slumber while standing if he kept them shut for too long. He looks at himself in the mirror and clicks his tongue, he was an absolute  _ mess _ . hair disheveled and dark circles under his eyes, and all just from one single night. 

His clothes were creased and jacket wet from the rain that leaked from the roof where he had uncomfortably slept on. the wet patches sticking weirdly on his skin made him wince. it was cold. With his head heavy, he settles his hand on the edge of the sink, splashing water onto his face. He was absolutely lethargic. Surely there was no way to fix his sleep schedule now.

He plans to get to his first class early, wanting to get a few minutes of sleep before students pile in and his dreaded day begins. He was too tired to care about the longing gazes from the students in the hallways who had arrived early. 

With his head rested in his arms on the table, his eyes fluttered shut in an uneasy rest, only soon interrupted when his homeroom teacher entered the class with a bright smile, his focus towards his lessons the whole day drifting every second.

Beomgyu doesn’t attend the music lesson at the end of the day, and Taehyun isn’t even surprised at this point.

.

"Hey, are you there?" Kai asked his best friend the moment they stepped out of school boundaries, their bags slung on their shoulders. The sun was hidden amidst the clouds, offering shade and a cold breeze that had Taehyun shivering. The water from his jacket had seeped into his shirt, there was no use taking off the thick piece of outer clothing anymore. 

If Taehyun didn’t look like a walking, soulless body, he would have actually enjoyed the weather.

He looked at Kai who was expecting an answer from the older, and he shrugged, "physically? yes. mentally? debatable," 

"Fantastic!" Kai beams, too enthusiastic about the deal to realize the lethargy lacing in the male’s voice, "So does that mean you're still up for the dinner date? You promised, right?"

It just registers into Taehyun’s head that he had countless of all nighters before this one, some probably even longer than the preceding. The sluggish feeling made his mind fuzzy. He hopes that he’s not coming down with something. 

He still hadn’t had the time to ponder about the actions of the prior night. How odd it was for someone so merciless and supposedly  _ ‘tough’  _ (Taehyun doubts that. There was absolutely nothing tough about him besides the fact the kid could pack a punch) to be crying his eyes out all because of being locked in? 

For someone who wants to forget, he surely thinks about the latter a lot.

"Yeah yeah,” he stifles a yawn voice laced with lethargy, “Now just zip it, Beom-,"

"huh?" 

"I-I mean, Hyuka," Taehyun blinks repeatedly and straightens his posture, grabbing on the straps of his bag, "You've been so loud since this morning, and I didn’t even take you as a morning person. I don't have any idea what kind of drugs you're on but whatever it is I'd like some,"

Huening Kai stays silent, and only then Taehyun realizes he had just stopped in his tracks. The latter sighs and turns around, meeting his gaze. 

Kai had stopped to stare at Taehyun, making an exaggerated teasing face. His eyebrows drawn up, grinning at the older boy. As if he had caught him slipping something very embarrassing, something he could make fun of.

"What?" Taehyun asked.

"You called me Beomgyu!" Kai says, poking his fingers towards the boy's chest followed by his loud signature laughter, "No way! Does that mean you were thinking of him, Hyun?"

“You were literally crying your eyes out whenever you see him and now you’re talking so freely,” 

“Don’t try to change the subject,” Kai brushes it off. In all honesty, Taehyun knew the kid didn’t like to keep bad memories at bay. It wasn't surprising to hear him talk about the older despite what he had been through because of him.

And adding to the fact that Kai might just found something to use against him.

"I'm tired, alright? I didn-"

"So you were!" Kai exclaims loudly, followed by a burst of laughter, "This is great, Hyunnie!"

“In what way are you seeing this as great, exactly?” he asks, frustrated.

Kai looks up after he finishes laughing, exasperating the older further when he slings his arms around the shorter male’s shoulders, “Taehyunie, my dense as a rock best friend, do you have some sort of feeling towards him?"

"Yeah," he replies, and Kai actually looks shocked before he continues, “a strong feeling of hatred,”

"Oh, come on!" Kai urges, "Just admit it! I'm your best friend, right? You tell me everything! I totally don't judge if he’s your gay awakening, you know? I mean, mine used to be a literal cartoon character,"

"You being my best friend is more the reason for me not to tell you everything,"

"So, you admit it? You do?" 

"No,"

"Hyuuuuuun!" Kai pouts, "Why else would you be thinking about him on our way out of school, then? And don't tell me it's because you're tired, you could've called me 'mom' or 'Soobin' but the first thing you said was Beomgyu, and my name isn't as close to his," he grins, "You're thinking about talking to him?"

"Can you just go back to being scared shitless at his name or something?"

"Hey! There you go, changing the subject again!" Kai retreats, folding his arms across his chest, "We're outside of school now, silly! Unless he's some weird stalker who's obsessed over you, I'm pretty sure he won't kill me,"

"I'm pretty sure he won't kill you even if we're in school grounds,"

"Hyunnie," the younger frowns, "Are you going to talk to him again?" 

"No," Taehyun lets out another tiny yawn, covering his mouth with his hand and stretching, "I want to see Mr. Min tomorrow and ask him if he could remove the fact that I got detention out of my report card,"

"And you're taking Beomgyu because?"

"Didn't say I was," Taehyun glances up at the tall boy, "I was mentally preparing a script on why he was the only reason I was sent there; and that I have never did anything to deserve it," 

"Or deserve the overnight treatment. It's like, abuse, isn't it?" he adds and Kai shrugs, Taehyun continues, "like false imprisonment or something,"

"But Mr. Min isn't stupid, though," Kai argues, "He must have... some justification for sending you in detention,"

"Yeah, Choi Beomgyu," Taehyun claims, "Not me. I mean, who sends someone into detention because they haven't sent in homework? And with their partner, at that matter," 

The other sweat drops, "I think it varies with different teachers," he says, "Last year my English teacher was in such a bad mood that she sent everyone in detention just because we didn't know basic English grammar and it was like... the subject we were supposed to learn that day,"

Taehyun gives him an odd look, to which Kai replies with a 'what?'

"Let's just get going," He says, grabbing Kai's hand so the kid doesn't lag behind, pulling him to walk alongside. Their footsteps fall in sync.

.

The restaurant was... empty.

Well, it wasn't really empty. But business wasn't booming that day either, as it usually had been. The air was warm, thankfully. It made Taehyun sigh in relief. Faint sounds of the news play in the background accompanied by the sizzling of meat. An old couple was having a nice dinner at the corner of the store, and a group of friends were celebrating one of their birthdays in the middle. The two opted for the seat by the windows.

"This is nice," Huening Kai chirped in front of him as a kind lady handed them a menu, "My sister works here, I'm sure some of the employees even know me!"

"Are you implying that we're getting a free meal?" Taehyun pushes the menu away, immediately grabbing the pen and paper to write his order. They came here often, it was a popular hang out spot for them, going over with Soobin and Yeonjun on weekends when they would release their stress by ordering plates after plates and end up feeling too stuffed to walk home. Kai shakes his head cheekily.

"You still owe me, Hyunnie~" he sings, leaning against the chair. 

Taehyun rolls his eyes, looking down at the menu paper and tapping the pen repeatedly on the desk. 

"Man, you really weren't lying when you said you stayed in detention overnight, huh?" Kai looks at Taehyun sympathetically, "Do you want to lay on my shoulder or something?"

A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips when he hears the offer. Kai was an absolute angel. Stupid at times, but an angel nevertheless. He was always one to stop and help someone despite how annoying he was, Taehyun knew he cared about his friends. It was rare for someone his age to still be so pure and kind. The older boy feels like he's won the friendship lottery.

Taehyun shakes his head and straightens his back, "I'm alright. Just a little sleepy,"

"No kidding, you gotta be really sleepy to call me Beomgyu," the boy grins, and Taehyun shoots him a death glare. If looks could kill, Kai was sure he would be six feet in the ground by then.

"You're annoying. Stop bringing that up already,"

"You know you love me either way," Kai teases, "I strongly disapprove if you decide to date him, though. So you can't do that,"

"I don't like him, for God's sake what is up with you?"

Kai shrinks, but Taehyun gets too riled up to notice, "I was just kidding..." 

The older stays silent, picking at the corner of the napkin as he fights the sleepiness inside of him. Their food arrives shortly after, and Huening Kai picks up the conversation as quickly as it stopped. Taehyun thinks that it must be fun to be him. Always having a lot to talk about, finding it easy to escape an awkward conversation.

Eventually, the topic comes up. It was expected, but the fact that it took a long while of Kai whining about how much chores he had made Taehyun wonder if he had his priorities set.

"So how did you end up in detention anyway?"

"Don't you know already?" Taehyun chews at his food, brushing his hair from his eyes, "I told you, him being absent made Mr. Min send us off," 

"Well, I know that, but," Kai pouts, eyes on the grill to make sure he doesn't accidentally burn their dinner, "But it can't just be because of that, though," he says, "Like, isn't there anything else? Why would Mr. Min do that? Wait, he's the small pale skinny teacher that's always with Mr. Jung, right?"

Huening Kai looks at him expectantly, his doe eyes wide in curiosity. Taehyun deadpans. He still can’t fathom how the younger doesn’t know they were dating. Mr Jung was his dance teacher and all he did between classes was talk; him talking about Yoongi or at least slip the fact that they were together was sort of inevitable.

“You remember when Beomgyu was absent for weeks?” Taehyun asked, playing with his food, “Yeah, well apparently we were supposed to do a draft of our song, and of course, we had no way to do it. So Mr. Min asked for ours and we didn’t pass up, so we got sent to detention,”

“That's… rough,” Huening Kai hisses, “But fair,”

“How exactly is that fair?” Taehyun argues, “He was absent and, mind you, also kind of punched me in the jaw,” he pulls at his collar to show the boy the faded bruise. Kai avoids looking at it by keeping his gaze on his plate of food.

The younger sighs, “Alright, alright you got a point. Now are you going to tell me what happened that made you look like your soul had been ripped out of your body by satan himself?”

“that’s one way to put it,” Taehyun chuckles, recalling the events of last night, bringing his hand up to rub at his temples. Honestly, everything that had happened felt so unreal that it had become a blur in his memories. He vividly remembers the thunderstorm and the weeping and there was no doubt that the other boy had slept on his shoulder judging by the ache that screamed at him everytime he moved as much as a little. He rubs the spot on his body with a wince.

“I’m not really sure if what i’m telling you is going to be accurate, though,” he starts, looking at the platter in front of him. He lets out a soft exhale before continuing, “but it wasn’t like the normal him, and i'm so sure about that,”

“The ‘normal him’?” Kai asked, now more attentive, “What do you mean…? Did he do something?”

“Yeah,” Taehyun looks up, “He- well, he kinda... cried,”

“Huh? He what? _ Why _ ?” the younger asked, bewildered. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the information, “did you fight him or something?”

Taehyun scoffs, “You do realize if i did there’s still no reason for him to cry, right? I mean, he literally fights everyone left and right,”

“Okay okay fine, please continue,” 

The eagerness in the younger’s voice was evident, he didn’t blame him. It was a new thing, to hear such vulnerability from a person who acted so condescending and superior by lashing out and cursing anyone that passes him. The innocent face did not match his cold and antagonizing personality.

“I woke up from a nap and it was just raining heavily, right? But then I heard someone just… crying from the doorway,” He says, “there wasn’t anyone else in the room but us, so you can probably place your bets on who it was,”

Kai stayed silent for a while, until he spoke up in a whisper, his voice light as if he wanted to laugh, “he’s afraid of  _ thunder _ ?”

“Well i guess if that's how you put it,” Taehyun says. He was trying to piece it out himself as well, “What was the weather like at yours last night?”

“Oh it was storming real hard,” he replies, making exasperated hand gestures, “The electricity got cut off just as i had finished studying-”

“You never study,”

“- _ and  _ it flooded a little, I think,” he ignores Taehyun’s claim, “We had to use the flashlight from our phones, and mine has probably died now,” he sighs, “But yeah, I guess it was stormy weather. Man, can’t believe that  _ the  _ Choi Beomgyu was weeping while I was happily sleeping through it all,” Huening Kai says the last bit with a slight giggle.

“Everyone’s afraid of something,” Taehyun mumbles, “Actually… there was something else that was odd… I- think he started calling me ‘mom’ or something,”

At this, Kai starts to choke, and Taehyun’s eyes widened. The former starts to hit his chest repeatedly and coughs, alarming a family that had just entered the restaurant, and the waitress that had been gossiping with the receptionist. Their eyes turning towards the struggling boy.

Just as the latter had thought he would have to call an ambulance so his best friend doesn’t die, Kai inhales and wheezes out, “ _ WHAT? _ ”

“Keep it down,” Taehyun eased the boy with his hands, telling him to drink water and making sure he wasn’t going to choke and die. (Taehyun made a mental note to not tell your very melodramatic best friend  _ anything _ when he’s eating)

“He called you what?” Huening Kai asked once more when he calms down, dropping his spoon and fork to engage in the conversation fully, “‘Mom?’ I didn’t know he was that type of person,”

“What type of person?” he asks, but then he shakes his head, “Actually, don't tell me, I don't want to know. Let's change the subject before you choke again. Now what was it you were going to tell me in the morning?”

“Was that all? Why are you so tired then?” 

“He was crying, I wasn’t just going to leave him to sob alone, you know. I’m not an asshole,” Taehyun exhales sharply, “He was grabbing onto me. He… had a look in his eyes. I don't know, but it didn’t look like the ones he gives me in music class,” 

“This one looked like fear,” Taehyun mutters.

He sighs and turns to stare out the window, and Kai doesn’t pry more, and Taehyun feels more than thankful for that. He rests his head against the back of the chair, staring at the cars that drive by them. Night had fallen and the roads were well lit, making him feel relaxed. June was coming to fall over the occupied city, the time where summer invites itself into the welcoming arms of students wanting a break off school. A time for sleeveless shirts and shorts, 

a time he now loathes to come.

A comfortable silence engulfs the two for a good few minutes. The sound of someone flipping the news channel and a drama was back to back and running water from the kitchen penetrates the silence.

“Hospital,” Kai says softly afterwards, and it causes Taehyun to look up at him, “I saw him at the hospital when I was out getting snacks for family movie night. Lea is obsessed with those little caramel sweets and I have no idea why they only sell them in the shop by the hospital- like, do you know how far it is from my house? And she won't even drive me there when-”

“Kai,” Taehyun stops him, “Who was?”

“Huh?” Kai wipes his mouth, a little confused.

“Who did you see at the hospital?” Taehyun asks as he props his elbows on the table, leaning forward. Now feeling a little dim-witted. Who else could it be? The conversation prior to Huening Kai’s rambling had completely left his mind.

“Oh, it was Beomgyu ssi,” Kai replies, “It was odd, actually… I saw him through the window when I was paying, right, so he looked kind of bothered? He had this pondering look as if he was thinking hard about something, and he was carrying an unusual box,” Kai shrugs, “Maybe he was visiting or something,”

Taehyun furrows his eyebrows and leans back into his seat when he realizes Kai’s explanation was too vague, “Yeah, maybe,”

Taehyun, in the state of drowsiness he was in, tries to piece what little information given by Kai had to do with the absence of the new music student for three weeks. There were countless possibilities on why he had left the building. He could have visited a relative admitted or working there. He could have been sick. Heck, his parents probably worked there and for the sake of getting Taehyun in trouble, he had decided to stay there instead of coming to school.

Taehyun thinks the last one seemed a little far, but seeing that it was a sensible possibility, he would rather put it into consideration.

"Hyunie...what if he likes you?"

Huening Kai’s voice breaks his train of thought, causing Taehyun to almost jump out of his seat from the sudden question. He looks at his best friend, and sends him an ‘ _ are you serious right now? _ ’ look. A sigh left his slightly parted lips. He was starting to get irritated with his friends constantly thinking that this guy had some sort of romantic feeling towards him. If they still thought the older had some romantic feeling towards him especially after they knew what Beomgyu had done towards him, they probably were the ones who needed checking up on.

"What gave you the idea? The fact that he can't go a minute without telling me how I suck or the way he can't seem to go a day without rolling their eyes every time i’m near? Because that's truly romantic, isn't it?" he snaps.

Huening Kai shrinks, and Taehyun bites back his tongue, “Sorry,” he mumbles, rubbing his temples, “I just- just, no, Kai ah. Don’t think like that, okay? I won't be talking to him anytime soon anymore. Actually, I shouldn't even be talking about him right now. All I’m going to do is talk to Mr. Min tomorrow and get everything settled. Everything will be okay,”

Taehyun finds himself saying the last part for himself more than he was to Kai. The truth was, he wasn’t so sure. He knew so many things could go wrong, but he had to try.

A sigh escapes his lips, and his eyes finally flutter shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried my best for this one !1! although its just 90% conversations TT hope you like it nevertheless !!


	28. Chapter 28

He woke before the sun did the following day, (he thanked the early sleep he had for that), to get ready for school, bringing with him a clingy, burdensome weight on his shoulders and anxiousness making itself comfortable in his chest. his usual walk that would ordinarily be filled with constant chatter about every little thing that Huening Kai finds interesting was replaced with the same song his sister had judged, saying the repeated words were too much for a track that was so popular. you could take a wild guess at what that was. 

Truthfully, it doesn't take the smartest person in the world to realize Taehyun was lying to himself when he says he doesn’t care to know more about what the older has been up to that led him here. 

It wasn’t a question he was desperate for answers to, but it kept him awake at night. he hates that whenever he thinks of school or akin his mind would drift to Choi Beomgyu like he was a permanent stain he was unable to get rid of no matter how much he tries to. a stain that would just come back every time he thinks it’s gone. Taehyun usually thought of himself as someone who was undisturbed, but he found that the whole trip back with Huening with the thought of the events that had happened in mind left him far from it. the moment he had returned from the meal with kai, he succumbed into slumber without even changing.

it was as if a stone had settled itself in his chest, making him unable to fully feel like he was before the whole ordeal happened, and the morning after, all he could do was hope that when he asks his offer to his music teacher, that it gets approved.

He fails to realize that he hopes too much, sometimes. with a heavy heart and his phone left by the nightstand to charge, he had trudged to school with a small rain cloud above his head, planning to stop by the teacher’s staff room the moment he got to school so he wouldn't have to suffer through his thoughts for a whole seven hours of the day.

.

There had been a point in which he had unknowingly realized he had stored every nook and cranny of his school in his muscles and brain. this was where he had started out, from when he was in diapers and still crying, begging for his mother to not leave him with a bunch of similar age strangers who were also wailing as he was, to when he was walking there on his own for the first time instead of taking the bus, feeling like a ‘cool grown up’ in third grade. after going there from daycare to primary, despite it being a little further from each other, he could confidently say that if someone were to blindfold him and tell him to grab a chair in the classroom at the science department, he would have brought back two. 

The staff room he was going to, thankfully, wasn’t that far from the main gates where he always came in from. with brisk steps, he makes his way and simultaneously recites the conversation he hopes to have with Yoongi in his head. he knew it wasn’t going to go perfectly as planned (his music teacher was unpredictable. there was a chance that he could only receive snappy remarks and an alteration of the student’s words to make him think that it wasn’t a big deal. but if he was lucky, his cooperation would be by his side), but he hopes to get as close to it as he could.

Yoongi's office was at the cubicle in the back, further away from the other teachers. It was a little more secluded, with shelves filled to the brim with old books that seemed forgotten- he doubts any of the teachers actually used other than to look like they carried something with them- slightly blocking the view towards it. it was also always an absolute mess, as well. the papers of lyrics (some looked torn on purpose, but he chose to ignore that) scattered around the table that smelled of coffee and ink. a scent Yoongi wears most of the time. maybe all of the time.

He spots the raven haired male typing away at his phone on the chair, sitting with his back against him, seemingly quiescent. he seizes the opportunity.

“Mr. Min!” he says, which unintentionally comes out loud (or maybe it wasn't, but the quiet state of the staffroom made otherwise) a few teachers near the vicinity shoot him a look. one at the table he was standing at jerking awake from what he assumes was a hangover from the lingering smell of alcohol. another teacher gives him a glare, but Taehyun pays no mind as he makes his way over towards the music teacher, avoiding the stack of books piled against the corner of the tables on his way over, “Mr Min,”

“I heard you the first time, Kang,” Yoongi replies somewhat sarcastically, turning agonizingly slow towards him and glancing up from his phone to give the boy a curious look, “this is new, seeing you here. what are you doing here? did you need anything?”

“I- wanted to ask you for a favour, actually,” he starts, the sentences he was forming thankfully not caught in tangles. he had formulated a whole story in his head, something to build up to the point. but his brain has probably short circuited, because the next words tumbling out were definitely not from his prior training, “give me a clean record- i mean, could you remove the fact i went into detention from my records?” he says, “i think it's a little unfair since you, uhm, kind of left us overnight, which is not really how detention works,” he adds

“is that a rhetorical question?” Yoongi asks, and Taehyun feels his heart sink when the following words that come out of his mouth are a simple, blunt, “no.”

"wh-what do you mean by 'no'?" Taehyun asked, bewildered. he had thought he came out really strong and intimidating, before. now he just feels self conscious. his uniform suddenly feeling uncomfortable against his skin. was this it? was overthinking every possible thing that could go wrong actually worth it? at least he knew the possible outcomes to follow if his  _ no _ was a final; his parents would look at him differently and think that he’s probably tormenting someone to the point he was sent, or that he had flunked badly and they take away his phone, and the other options just incrementically get worse. but still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more underneath it. wasn't he Yoongi’s favourite student? maybe he thinks too highly of himself.

“I mean,” Yoongi says, interrupting his train of thought, and Taehyun knows he was in for an earful now. the look he gave him was the same look that he had given their class whenever they tricked the substitute by switching their names or passing notes in class. Yoongi wasn’t a subtle person with his expressions, (and anyone who would cross paths with him would know that), so it didn’t take a genius to tell Taehyun that the short man was displeased with his request. 

“Because I already forwarded it,”

“ _ What _ ?!” Taehyun says, something akin to a shriek in his tone, “forward what? to where?! Why now-”

Taehyuns’s ramblings were interrupted by the sound of a phone call. A catchy jingle of what he assumed was the newest single from the band Huening Kai and Soobin was obsessed with (from the countless amount of messages they sent him saying  _ stream _ ) rang in the quiet staff room. Yoongi took a glance at the ID and his nonchalant facade dropped to a slightly anxious one.

“Give me a moment,” He says as he stands up, almost tripping over the junk of papers on his floor. Taehyun sees his fingers slipping at the answer button and a distant  _ “Hello?”  _ as he walks into the teacher’s kitchen. 

It didn't really help that the kitchen was completely transparent. Taehyun stands there like nobody's business and observes how distressed his music teacher had become. whoever at the end of the line- Taehyun realizes- is really giving him a hard time. Yoongi was raking a hand through his hair with his free hand, looking down at his shoes when another teacher had stepped in. 

It reminded Taehyun of his mother, when she would have a phone call with his father about coming home late, or at all, back then. back when they seemed like they couldn't live without each other. back when Taehyun was excited for Fridays because he could always tell himself if it's a bad day that:  _ yay, im seeing appa tonight! _ . It wasn't like that anymore. It was like he didn’t care, of course. maybe it was a story for another time. Taehyun doesn’t like to think that way now.

The conversation seemed to be going on forever. he didn't know what they were talking about, but whatever it was, it definitely stressed him out. watching Yoongi from the glass was like watching a silent movie, where all you could count on was the expression. if his constant pacing back and forth was anything to go by, he was definitely frustrated, at one point tugging at his tie. by the time he assumed the bell would ring, the phone call finished and Yoongi stood by the sink staring into it. 

he hopes whatever they had chatted about wouldn't bring his mood down to dismiss Taehyun out of his room without considering a compromise. Yoongi walks out of the room with his normal demeanor as if nothing had happened, slouched and sleepy, and walks back towards his desk.

Whatever it had been, he probably shouldnt meddle in his business.

“What if we make a deal?” Yoongi instantaneously asks the moment he sits down, and Taehyun’s eyes widened though before he could say anything else, he continues, “You do me a little favour, and i’ll clear your name from whatever complex you just stated with your behavioral report card,” 

Taehyun blinks, almost comically. just like this? a simple favor?

Taehyun couldn't help but ask, “like bribery?”. he knew he should’ve just accepted whatever it was before he took back his offer, but Yoongi replies with scoff, and lifts his leg to rest atop the other. he meets his eyes and Yoongi looks at him condescendingly. Taehyun had never felt so out of place.

“You’re saying that like it's a bad thing,” he replies, as if it, well, isn't, “are you going to pretend like I didn't know you were going to blackmail me?”

The student’s shoulders slump at that.  _ well, he does have a point. there wasn’t a lie there _ . 

Oftentimes, Taehyun believes he’s being over dramatic. he thinks that there are a handful of things he’s done in his life that he isn't proud of.

there had been a time when he was younger, he had decided to disregard his homework to join his sister on an excursion with her friends at a nearby beach. he imagined it all in his head; he’d have a fun time in the water, maybe lounge in a deck chair drinking ice tea in a glass cup adorned by a cute little umbrella, or make a sand castle that he now realizes the way he had imagined it to turn out was physically impossible; only to come home without his shorts and sand under his sandals, followed by a scolding from his very angry teacher the following day. 

perhaps, he assumes, that that small mistake had been the first time he realized that leisure to replace something unfinished wasn’t going to give him a result with merit. he was pretty sure he had gone,  _ wow, attempting to relax was useless. getting yelled at is pathetic. maybe i shouldn't do this. _

In fourth grade, he remembers accidentally breaking a test tube when he was washing the glass object at the back of their chemistry laboratory, where the only unoccupied sink was. the lone person being there to witness it was his lab partner, so he had begged the girl not to tell anyone.  _ especially _ the teacher as younger him had felt like he had already hated him at the start, and there was no need to give contribution to the probably already growing list of why. his lab partner had told him that she would promise not to; if he gives up his seat in the bus for a month.

And so, Taehyun ended up standing on the bus on their way home for a whole month. and after, it had turned out she was leaving for the states. it dawned on him maybe another month after, that it was such a small matter and he had just given up his bus seat for absolutely nothing.

To think he would learn from his mistake was, in itself, a mistake. in sixth grade, he had accidentally fallen asleep on the bleachers after a long day during a period he was supposed to be having his extracurricular activity. being a person who had attended every single one of his boring basketball classes (it was all Kai’s fault for making him choose. the kid didn’t even play basketball), he had naturally felt panicked when he saw the time he woke up at was five in the evening; way after it had already ended. had irresponsibly begged his coach not to mark him absent, in exchange of putting a good word in for him to his math teacher so he could score a date, and moved on with his day. 

Now, he sees that there may be some sort of… pattern. there was probably a lesson somewhere in the journey, but he chooses to turn a blind eye. was and does he realize that maybe,  _ maybe _ he was doing things too rashly? 

No, of course not. he’s Kang Taehyun. smart, hardworking Taehyun. the person who helps Yeonjun, someone a year older than him, with his math homework. the person who read every single book in the korean literature section of their library. punctual and diligent, and every other ‘nerdy’, (as they call it), stereotype. the favourite child of his parents. the favorite parent of hobak.

there was no need for anyone to know of a simple slip up.

"fine," Taehyun says after a sag of silence, "what is it?" 

A smirk plays on Yoongi's lips not a beat after and Taehyun feels an unexpected chill run down his spine. that was never a good indication, if his smug look was anything to go by. now this was when realization settles. there were a lot of things his teacher could make him do. he hopes this wasn't one of the cases where he would actually make him actually, well, _do_ things. 

_ Suddenly _ , Taehyun thinks,  _ maybe having a bad reputation would be better. maybe there was no use for that internal narration. _

"i'm leaving in a week," Yoongi blurts out, and Taehyun couldn’t have heard it if he didn’t snap out of his thoughts. leaving? did he get fired? quitted? in the middle of the year? so suddenly? though instead of meeting the student’s gaze, Yoongi was turning down to his own fingers. so Taehyun dares himself to ask.

"Leaving? As in for good?" 

"Why? you want me to?" Yoongi looks up, his tone light, but quickly melts into a tired one, "I have something important to do and I won't be here until after summer break, but thankfully I've given the class work that would keep you busy, won't it?" 

Taehyun bites his lip, nodding.  _ The song. The only thing he couldn't seem to finish without the cooperation of his partner.  _

"Well, I dont know if you know this,” Yoongi starts, propping his leg above the other, his voice dropping down lower, almost to a hushed whisper, “but my responsibilities don't just stop at being your teacher. You see, i didn't want to leave either because other than classes, I had my schedule packed, you see,” he says “but it's mandatory, so i really can't do anything against it. That's where you come in," he continues, "I want you to do a few things off my schedule for me, Kang," 

Taehyun furrows his eyebrows in wonder, not knowing what his teacher was going at. a few things? does he want him to become a temporary music teacher or something? he had never thought into his teacher’s personal life, (because why would he? he was just his tutor), but if he had to, he would never have seen him as someone who would actually... run errands or do activities that needed to be regularly taken care off.

“dont you… have another person to take care of it for you?” Taehyun asks, albeit hesitantly. he was already offered, he should just take it. but an uneasy feeling was crawling his skin, like there was definitely more to it than just  _ do my work and i’ll spare you. _

“I do,” Yoongi hums, “but  _ you  _ wanted a favor from me, didn’t you? I think we can both agree that this will be a boon for the both of us,”

He bites his lip, contempating.  _ this was ridiculous. you’re going to regret this _ .  _ all because of some stupid favor to keep your clean record. _ Taehyun’s eyes wandered from the slightly cracked mug on Yoongi’s desk, his eyes following the coffee stain that had left after it rolled down the side. the idea that Yoongi could be having a drug dealing business for all he could know had passed him at one point with how abnormal the tone and way Yoongi’s proposal sounded, but then he remembers his father. and how he would definitely not spare a single minute of his time to listen or support Taehyun’s passion for music if he catches wind of this.

there was no need for further excogitation. he would just have to trust the older on this. Besides, what was the worst that could happen?

So with a solemn nod and his nails digging into his palm, Taehyun agrees. he notices Yoongi’s pondering look turned into a look of slight amusement, and he ignores the wandering thought if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Don't look so tense,” Yoongi laughs, “Alright, then, I have a list at Hoseok-," 

"Hoseok nim from dance?" Taehyun interrupts quickly, although his voice sounded a little shocked, as if the question was supposed to be in his head only, and he had accidentally said it out loud.

"There is literally no other Hoseok here, Taehyun," Yoongi replies, a little snappy after he cuts him off, "as I was saying. I've forwarded your number to him. he'll tell you all about what I've planned for you. any questions?" 

  
  


he shakes his head, and Yoongi finally smiles, standing up and grabbing his coffee mug back. Taehyun assumes its the end of the conversation as was about to turn around, when he hears Yoongi calling out to him once more.

"Oh wait," Yoongi adds, sounding as if he had just been hit with a great idea at the last minute, "Choi Beomgyu will accompany you to every single errand." 

That, was not what he wanted. 

To have someone accompany him on a task that risked his reputation was like having a group project. he was supposed to rely half of the project to be finished by the other half. he’d have to trust them to get it finished. with Taehyun’s experience with group projects, he doesn’t think this was a good idea. Choi Beomgyu especially, out of everyone in the entire school? he felt like this was something his teacher had organized. a set up. maybe another form of punishment.

Taehyun tries to argue, “I just want  _ my _ report to be erased. He doesnt have to.”

“Well, he’s your partner, isn't he?” Yoongi says his voice laced with a tone of finality, “See this as a way to bond with him. Maybe you’ll work better at your song, wouldn't you?. Good day, Kang," 

And before he could argue, Yoongi walks into the kitchen once again. engaging in a seemingly sudden conversation with another teacher he barely recognizes. Taehyun is left alone.

  
  


. 

The school day goes on, and Taehyun feels tired again, as if the events of the previous day haven't fully gotten out of his system. it probably hasn't.

When music class rolls in, he realizes it was the last subject for the day. Yoongi comes into class with a more light expression that he usually has, and when he explains about his trip with a disappointed tone but a smile on his face and a stare towards Taehyun’s way, he thinks he’s done for.

Especially with the seat next to him empty, once again.

.

His phone dings at night just as he had changed into his pajamas and was just about to curl into bed and forget the ordeal. a text message fully expected, but still causes him to bite his lip with slight regret before opening.

**Text from: hoseok (dance)**

_ yoongi tutors at a kindergarten i'm familiar with part time.  _

_ that's your first task for next week but don't worry, I'll be there to guide you.  _

_ goodluck! they're a handful :)  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yoongi doing god's work
> 
> im laying here wrapped in blankets and coughing my lungs out feeling sick and came up with a sudden urge to just get this out. i had this in my drafts since the last chapter but everytime I come to edit it id add something else so I'm glad I finally get to post this now ! i hope you like it, I tried my best ! ^0^


	29. Chapter 29

Life goes on. 

Bright rays of sunshine overrides his sour mood over the weekend to the point that the encounter had placed itself at the back of his head in the darkest corner that he doesn't check often. either by accident or on purpose, it didn't matter. 

Thankful for the pile of schoolwork and his sister's nagging for him to come with to the mall to accompany her going shopping for a new dress, he manages to waste his two days drowning in self-pity and forge a perfect life with himself, where his biggest worries were about a history test the upcoming week and whether his mother would remember to check the mail before the curious neighbour down the street does for her. 

Though, it doesn't help that he had the message still in his phone from a specific dance teacher and it would be the first thing he'd see whenever he opens his chat to text his friends. 

He hadn’t had the chance to tell Hueningkai about it when the latter had completely bombarded his phone to the brink of explosion the night he had crashed at the fact that he had completely (accidentally) ignored Soobin's text for dinner just for Taehyun's offer of hanging out (which wasn't even his idea in the first place, come on). the latter had cried at how he lost a chance to spend time with him and Taehyun had to reassure him that Soobin hyung most likely didn't mind, and he could always just ask him like a normal person if he wanted to grab lunch or have dinner over again. 

And Taehyun assumes his reassurance must've worked as the following Sunday, Kai had been silent and the boy assumed he was at the said food grab with the dimpled boy. 

Pretending like he wasn't anxious every time was getting easier until he actually realised that he wasn't doing a very good job at it. he never found himself as someone with a nervous tic, but his sister called him out for annoyingly tapping his pen on the table repeatedly and his mother scolds him for leaving his papers around and Taehyun notices the papers he had left had their corners torn, so he thinks he's getting there slowly. 

The day before school, instead of thinking of a devised plan to talk to the older male for his compromise, he finds himself cursing the education system. 

He never thought of himself as a worrywart, in fact, he was usually quite calm. The constant bugging from the events prior had just been gnawing at his skin these days (he tries to convince himself, or something like that). he had never realized that his life revolved so much around school until he put the thought into consideration. fuck the government for having them attend something short of a gathering of hormonal teens and force them to absorb information. 

"I don't know what's going through your head, but I hope you're cozy in there," Hueningkai had said once they were near the vicinity of the school, snapping him out of his stupor. it was a school day already? his flashbacks must have been long, "you seem like you're snuggling in front of a campfire in your head. lost."

"That's a very bad analogy," Taehyun replies, waking up to his current reality and looking down at their matched paced footsteps. the asphalt was a little wet today. it was getting rainier and rainier to the point he wonders if they have to wear their spring uniform instead of summer ones due to how cold it was when the wind picks up the slightest. 

(Soobin had said over skype call the other day how it was the end of the world already and the Gods were ready to flood them and start a new ecosystem, while Yeonjun had laughed at him and told him that they were being stupid because mermaids couldn't rule the world even if they tried to by comparing how bad of a mermaid Princess Ariel was for giving up her voice for a man, and Hueningkai had cried about soggy plushies)

"Goodluck with whatever it is you're pondering so much, Hyun," Kai says. sincerely, this time. no trace of teasing in his voice and Taehyun feels himself ease a little. a small thank you at the tip of his tongue when he hears the boy speak again, "I know how hard it is to come to school with a bad reputation. I mean, the Kang Taehyun in deten-" 

"One more word," 

"Sorry," he smiles sheepishly, knowing how the ace student was getting pissed at any mention of that. it was entirely amusing how such a small detail that merely left a stain on his image that he could just wipe irritates him so much as if he was a saint in school (maybe he was, but not really). 

"Oh, I won't be coming home with you today, hyung," Kai says when they see the gates upfront. students starting to come by with jackets and raincoats and colorful umbrellas, "Soobin hyung is inviting me over," 

“Again?” Taehyun asks, looking at the boy. Kai looked giddy, in lieu of being used to it like Taehyun had assumed he probably would be now, “he really is fond of you, isn’t he?”

“he just wants to show me his plants, that's all!”

“Kai, you dont even like plants.”

Kai shakes his head in defense, “Now I’ve never said that, Hyun! Don't twist my words and go around telling Soobin hyung that,” he says, “You didn’t tell Soobin hyung that… haven’t you?”

Taehyun shrugs, “Even if I had, he’s still inviting you over isn't he? just dont do anything bad. remember what happened in third grade when you had a crush on that girl and went over for her birthday?”

Hueningkai’s eyes widened as he dramatically shivered, rubbing at his shoulders, “please don't remind me, Hyun. heterosexual Huening was a cringe,”

“Well that's one thing I agree with wholeheartedly,” he replies before going silent again. 

“so,” Kai says, trying to fill the silence, “what were ya thinking about there? you didn’t really tell me what happened after. did your negotiation-slash-blackmailing work?”

Taehyun couldn't help but chuckle at that. that was truly one way to put his plan in a sentence, “It was less blackmailing and more negotiating,” he says, “actually, I think it was more bribing that negotiating and blackmailing,”

“You bribed Mr. Min?!” Kai’s eyes widened as he began to slowly clap, “didn’t think you’d have it in you! that's like super illegal!” 

“I didn't actually bribe him, gosh,” Taehyun hisses, causing Kai to laugh, “he just wants me to do a few things for him when he’s out for something next week, that's all,”

“what’s he out for?” Kai asked, and Taehyun replied with a shrug. sensing that he doesn't want to talk about it more, the younger gives him an encouraging pat on the back, “well, don't worry! If there’s anyone who can do a bunch of whatever old music teacher errands would be just for the sake of removing something you assume is bad from your permanent record, it’s you!” 

"is that a compliment?" Taehyun asks unsure, and Kai laughs. he laughs like he always does whenever his answer wasn't a yes. 

* * *

Kai has always been the loudest one in their small friend group of four despite him having been the one who self-proclaimed it. when they were out spending time together, he would be the one to come up with suggestions. walking ahead of everyone else just so he could be the one to choose where they would be eating or screaming in arcades whenever he finds himself winning another plushie; or when a picked up plushie from the claw machine drops. 

But now, as he wrings his hands in front of the door to Soobin’s house, he finds his words stuck in his throat.

He was completely fine with being alone with any of his friends. there were times when they all didn’t spend time with each other. Yeonjun and Soobin were in a grade above them, there were days where they sometimes spent weeks not talking to each other due to busy schedules and a tendency to be at the top of their grades.

The only problem was that this was  _ Soobin _ , and Soobin was special.

Shutting his phone after a text from Taehyun who had told him how Beomgyu was absent for the nth time again and told him to not ask about it and just  _ have fun, _ he debates whether he should ring the doorbell again despite knowing how he would overthink it afterward by claiming he was being annoying and impatient.

In the silence of the night, he hears the sound of the knob twisting and the door sliding open to reveal Soobin in a set of white pajamas with a pattern of small planets on them and headphones around his neck, wearing an apologetic look on his face. 

“Hueningie! I'm so sorry, I didn't hear you!” he apologizes profusely, hands reaching out to pull him inside, and the younger chuckles. It had really reminded him of the time he had just met him back then when he had come crashing down with the glass apparatuses.

“It's alright, hyung!” he chirps, brushing it off, “What were you doing?”

“Just cleaning, you know, while listening to music,” Soobin replies, pointing to his headphones that looped around his neck where music was playing, “very loudly, apparently.”

“I do that too sometimes, you know me,” Kai grins in hopes that the older wouldn't feel too guilty, and Soobin chuckles, reaching out to ruffle his head.

“Did you wait long?”

Kai shakes his head, taking his shoes off as his eyes fixate on a portrait hanging on the wall by his window. a picture of him and his family on a vacation, it looked like. with palm trees and sand and a vast ocean as a background and the boy wearing a Hawaiian shirt, hair in a bucket hat behind his sister. 

"Cute," he finds himself mumbling instead of saying inside his head. he hears Soobin chuckle behind, so he assumes he wasn't mumbling at all. 

"That was when we were in Hawaii, it's been years since we went on a proper vacation as a family," Soobin states, standing beside him. he feels like they were in a museum and Soobin was explaining the history of an important painting, "mom and dad are busier these days and the others are moving out. maybe I should do that too," 

"I'm from Hawaii," Kai finds himself blurting out, "we could visit together one day." 

Soobin hums in agreement, "that sounds great! I can meet your parents and tell them how much of a brat you are," 

"Hyuuuung! In that case, maybe we shouldn't..." 

“I’m kidding! You better take me one day,” Soobin nudges his shoulder, laughing, “Come on, follow me,” he calls out, walking past him into what he assumes was his bedroom, and Huening Kai follows as he had instructed to. 

Kai had never been in the older’s room before, but surprisingly, it wasn’t that surprising to him. gray walls and a neat game setup was the only thing that stood out of the plain room that held nothing but books strewn across his bed and hoodies laying on almost every corner of the room. a bean bag that looks like he had been sitting on lays beside his television where game controllers were piled on top of a stack of games next to an empty bowl, and there was a lot of green from the precious plants he had been keeping for a while now. 

He highly doubts that ‘cleaning’ Soobin had claimed he was doing when he isn't answering the doorbell now, but he doesn’t voice it out loud.

"Welcome to my living space, make yourself at home!" Soobin says as he quickly makes his way towards a particular place by the window, “Ah- here, come here!” Soobin grins, turning to Kai. he looked as if he had been rehearsing what to say, his eyes giving off how much the plants meant to him, “this was the particular plant I was talking about, isn’t it pretty?”

Kai takes a look at it. it was exactly what he had expected it to be, a small palm-sized cactus that looked too small to be real, in a white ceramic pot that Soobin holds delicately.

"Really," he says, looking around the succulent green plant as he lets his fingers brush on the thorns. surprisingly, they don't cut into his skin, "it's adorable, hyung, I didn't expect you to take care of something so daunting," 

"Daunting?" Soobin laughs and stands up from where he had been crouching on the floor, "it's not at all like that, Hyuka! I mean, it’s just a plant. actually, in deserts, cactuses..." 

Kai drowns out the explanation from his friend to heed at how his eyes sparkle. he had heard somewhere once that talking about something one admires always brought a (metaphorically) glow that only others could feel radiate off of them, and there were a lot of instances where he had a first hand saw this proven true.

for instances like when he listens to Taehyun tediously talk about nonfiction books as if they had plots instead of stating facts he had gotten of them, claiming they were the only things he could do in his room during Christmas to avoid the arguments of his parents downstairs, or when he talks about the comical things his cat had been up to, or when Yeonjun talks about the new dance choreography that he had fallen in love with and was in the process of learning off youtube.

Or when Yeonjun talks about Soobin.

He shakes his head to remove the thoughts. This was a night he would be spending with just the two of them, there was no need to bring another person in his thoughts.  _ live in the moment _ , he tells himself. although now his mind starts to wonder if he was trying to convince himself more than advice. 

"Ning?" Soobin calls out gently, waving his hands in front of his face to catch his attention, "Hey, you aren't listening to a thing I said, did you?" 

"Huh? oh, of course, I did, hyung!" 

"Really? then what did I say?" Soobin challenges, and when Kai doesn't reply, he sighs, "Don't worry, it's not important anyway," 

"Whatever you say is always important, hyung," he pouts, not wanting to make think that his interests were insignificant to him. thankfully, the sparkles in his eyes had remained even as he had turned to face him. 

Although Kai finds it awfully corny two seconds after he says it, he sees Soobin smile warmly at the statement and it eventually melts into a soft laugh. Kai feels his cheeks heat up, breaking into laughter along with him.

In the comfort of the cold, messy room that was littered with everything  _ Soobin _ , Kai finds himself sharing laughter with the boy he had his eyes on for so long. and although there was nothing he was afraid or doubtful of, nothing had felt more reassuring.

The comfortable silence that followed after was very quickly replaced with the female voice that he assumed was Soobin's sister from the hallway. 

"Soobinie, can you get the door?" he hears, and Soobin looks up curiously, finally hearing the continuous ringing from the doorbell. it was already late, he was sure that both his parents and his brother were asleep upstairs. who could that be at this time? 

he gets up and makes his way over to the door with reluctance, and Hueningkai stands behind him holding his phone in what seemed to be a threatening manner, (you know, in case it was the mafia who wanted to take him for some reason. hey, anything was possible), though when Soobin swung open the door, he was met with the least of his expectations.

The familiar bright hair was unmistakably Yeonjun. the boy leans against the doorframe with a smirk and two bags of McDonald's in his hands, as if he had been planning to stop by since the beginning, though a quick glance towards Soobin, it was clear that he hadn’t expected it either.

"Soobinie! sur-" Yeonjun pauses when his eyes fall on Huening Kai, who was standing in a silly pose, "Oh? Hueningie? what are you doing here?" 

"Hyung invited me over…" Kai answered, trying to muster up a smile to hide his slight feeling of disappointment. why was Yeonjun so suddenly here? he doesn't even live close to his place. he tries his best to not overthink, ( _ the more the merrier, isn’t that it?  _ he tells himself). though it was getting harder with Soobin's welcoming smile and a heart that would never reject him, and Yeonjun’s- in Huening Kai’s view- intentional desire to invade.

He wasn't supposed to feel this way. Yeonjun was his best friend. his hyung. he was also, Kai hopes, the place that the older boy would stop by holding two bags of takeaway if he were by the neighbourhood. so why was the sight of him smiling up at Soobin with adoration as if he lived here with him made his breathing hitch? 

"Are you drunk, hyung? why are you here?" he finally voices out, wanting anything more than the silence. 

"Just got back from a party and decided to stop by," Yeonjun replies, holding up the two bags of food and shaking them, "I didn't know you were here, Hueningie. if i did, i would’ve gotten you one!” he turns over towards him, adding, “here, hope you like fries. catch!" and throwing his meal- not a good idea- towards him. Kai catches it with a shocked yelp. 

"Are you sure you're not drunk, hyung?" Soobin was the one who was asking now, though his tone was lighter and he didn’t sound like he was bothered by the arrival of the boy. Kai sets the bag aside on the table and mumbles, "you should've just gone home.." 

“You don't want me here? Should I just take my leave then?” Yeonjun pouts after hearing the youngest’s grumbles, though, he was taking off his shoes, contrary to his words, “alright then, I’m leaving!”

“Stop pouting, you can stay, hyung,” Soobin laughs, and Yeonjun cheers silently.

It was not a big deal.

Huening Kai had dealt with similar situations before. knowing how close the two olders were, he knew it was bound for him to be a third wheel. there were times where they would laugh at jokes that only the two of them would get, talk about events that had happened in subjects they shared together. they were always like one another’s continuation before the previous ended. there were numerous times, he couldn't count them on all his fingers.

But he always had Taehyun to sit through with him during those times. 

The younger's subtle playful scoffing whenever Yeonjun shamelessly flirts with Soobin, his unfiltered comments on how they should stop being so affectionate and make them feel single in public, how if Yeonjun doesn't stop, Soobin might just explode right then and there. his brevity of calling them out had always brought confidence in himself to continue, claiming he was just making fun of them. 

Maybe there was more than just making fun, now that he thinks about it.

Kai hadn’t told Taehyun about the slight crush he had felt towards the boy, but even without telling, he has a feeling that he already does know. Taehyun always knew, especially when it came to him. they cared for each other like that, silently. 

Kai finds himself following Yeonjun’s movements from where he had taken off his jacket and hung it on the rack by the door towards the couch in the living room, plopping himself right in the center and sinking into the cushions with a sigh. something that he looked like he had mastered doing. 

“Kai! Come over here, what are you doing standing around there? listen, I may look like it, but I  _ swear _ I'm not drunk,” Yeonjun giggles over the sounds of Soobin taking out the food from the plastic bag in the kitchen, “Was I interrupting something, hm? What were you doing before I came over?”

“Soobin hyung was just showing me his plants,” Kai answers, giving his best cheery expression as he walks closer to sit on the couch by his right, “oh, and we were planning to watch a movie!”

“Plants?” Yeonjun tilts his head, looking at the younger as if he had just told him that he had taken up an interest he had loathed before, “so suddenly? I didn't know you were into those things, Hueningie! I should get you one as well, then!”

“Huh?”

“Oh, did Soobin show you the plant I got him? little cactus, smaller than my palm, actually!” he says, eyes sparkling with adoration talking about the succulent he had seemingly bought for Soobin. 

Oh

When Kai remains silent, Yeonjun slumps, seemingly taking it as Soobin didn’t show him, “Ah, forget it, it probably died,” he muttered, playing with a loose string in the couch, “i mean, his plants need a lot of water, I wouldn't be surprised he overwatered the little prick-” Yeonjun paused to give way for his pun, but Kai doesn't laugh, “-’till it died, you know?”

“Ah, it's alright, hyung, he didn’t get to show me everything,” Kai reassures, attempting to cheer his hyung back up, “And Soobin hyung isn’t that careless, I’m sure it’s fine.” 

Soobin comes back with a plate of snacks, placing them on the table in front, “I had actually planned on watching a movie with Hueningie. do you wanna join, hyung?”

“Is it okay if I do?” Yeonjun grins, as if he wasn't already having his legs up on the coffee table in front of the TV where they would be having said movie.

“Of course it’s alright,” Soobin chuckles. inviting. he was always so.

Yeonjun moves aside and ruffles his hair once Soobin is settled by his left, and Kai smiles despite the unknowing aching feeling in his chest.

“We should all hang out tomorrow, what do you think?” Yeonjun speaks up when the movie title appears on the screen, and Huening Kai hums. showing him that he was listening.

“I have to finish some assignments,” Soobin says, and Yeonjun merely laughs.

“We can finish them afterward together, Binnie. Taehyun looks so exhausted these days, so let's take a day off tomorrow and just enjoy together! Come on, Hueningie, what do you say?”

“Sure,”

“See? He agrees!”

“You’re supposed to be on my side, Hyuka,” Soobin reaches across, stopping midway from picking up a fry to pinch his cheeks, “Alright then, but only because you're both  _ so _ against me,”

“You don't have to come, Binnie,” the neon haired boy teases, turning away from the movie to look at him. from the corner of his vision, Kai sees Yeonjun wrapping his arms around the older’s shoulder. 

“Too late! I’m clearing my schedule for the two of you,” 

Yeonjun laughs and Soobin reciprocates. Hueningkai finds himself drifting to sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

Ever since they became friends, Taehyun had set different ringtones for them so it would be easier to know who was calling without whipping his phone out. Yeonjun and Soobin’s were set to their favourite songs- Sicko Mode by Travis Scott and Grace by Bebe Rexha respectively- and Huening Kai as a popular kid’s song he had found on YouTube. 

Kai’s ringtone had started as a joke in the beginning. they had been playfully arguing on how childish he was and Taehyun had put his ringtone to the first kids song he had found on youtube just to spite him. but until now, he hadn’t bothered to change it. it wasn't like the boy calls him a lot anyway. 

Though it was an instant regret when he was woken right up by the repeated sound of the annoying song of the shark ringtone early in the morning of a saturday. a  _ saturday _ . a saturday after a long week of stress, impulsive decisions that lead to regret and dreaded outcomes. 

He picks up the call after the chorus of the fifth ring with reluctance and an angry  _ “what do you want?!” _ . Kai on the other line seemingly doesn't hear his snappy tone that had the hint of  _ stop calling me. I want to sleep  _ because he had started talking at a speed that Taehyun couldn't quite process yet.

“Kai,” he exhales, “I just woke up. slow down,”

“Just woke up? That's so unlike you, Hyun!” the boy across the line says in shock, but quickly gets over it, “but anyway, we’re hanging out and you’re coming!” he sings, “and just in case it’s unclear to you, that was a statement. not a question,”

Taehyun blinks and squints, pulling his phone back from his ear to check the time. it was ten in the morning. Kai was right, he wasn't one to wake up so late. the events he had encountered for the week had probably made him more tired than he thought he had been.

“Okay,” he finally replies, his tone exasperated. he hears Kai’s cheer before he asks, “With who?”

“Yeonjun and Soobinie hyung!” 

“Where?”

“You ask too many questions. I'll head over and we can take the bus together! bye, love you! bye!”

And with that he hung up as soon as he said goodbye, leaving no room for Taehyun to protest. (not that he would, anyway. he had a soft spot for him, and he sounded too excited that rejecting the offer would probably hurt his pure soul) 

So with a tired groan, Taehyun gets up to start the day. 

* * *

With his friends, no matter how tough the week had been, he would never refuse an offer to hang out with them. they had made a promise to each other, that even if they were different in levels, they wouldn't drift apart. it was something Huening Kai had started, and something they had all agreed on. so every once and a while whenever they had spare time, they would be hanging out together, just the four of them.

And they almost always start at the same place, if their hang out session started around the morning.

"Taehyunnie! there he is," Yeonjun grins as he wraps his arms around his neck the moment he enters the dainty ice cream cafe, "what's up with you lately? you seem so lost these days. is Kang Taehyun finally joining the day dreamers club?" 

"the what?" Taehyun mumbles as he rubs his face, sitting down on the chair where Yeonjun had guided him to, seeing the others already there waiting for him, the cold sweet in hands, "I'm just tired," 

"it's because of that Choi kid?" Soobin asks, spoon in his mouth and jacket zipped up. Taehyun assumes that he had spilled ice cream on his shirt again, a habit he couldn't get over with how much he talks while holding the spoon just before his mouth.

"there are a lot of things besides people," 

"Right, right," Soobin nods in faux agreement, looking at him with a grin afterwards, "so is it safe to say that a lot of things includes  _ thinking  _ about that Choi kid?" 

"Hyung," 

"Kidding! Don't look at me like that, Tyunnie," laughter rings in the small corner they were seated at, a ring from the door and chatter around them making them blend right in the cafe "just chill out a bit today, Yeonjun hyung planned this for you," 

Taehyun looks over to the guy who had made his way back towards the counter, probably to order for him, leaning over the counter and talking to the worker with an flirtatious look, the girl unconsciously twirling her hair, "yeah, definitely seems like it," 

Truth be told, he was thankful for his friend's hangout; he had known by the tone of Kai’s cheerful and eager voice that morning that this was for him, but there were a bunch of other topics that could be talked about besides the problems that had caused the downfall in his mood. like climate change or why they should all drop out of school altogether and maybe start a band or something instead.

“Oh, come on,” Soobin nudges Taehyun by the shoulder playfully, “lay it off a little bit, Hyun. you’re going to be absolutely fine!”

“That's because you don't know the actual story,” Taehyun mumbles to himself, and Huening Kai, who had been sitting across him, grins.  _ crap.  _ he should really be mindful of his mouth, knowing how much Kai was more than willing to tell stories especially if it didn't happen to him. 

“I can tell it!” he sings with glee, almost hopping out of his seat in excitement. Yeonjun comes over to their table with a small cup of ice cream and passes it on to Taehyun, the action thankfully preventing the younger one from jumping out of his seat.

“Hey there what's gotten you so hyper?” Yeonjun asks, and Kai simply grins, quirking his eyebrows at Taehyun.

“Taehyun had done something really crazy, you wont believe it, hyung!” he says eagerly, “i mean, I’d only tell if he allows it, of course,” fluttering his eyelashes towards him as if he was an angel to which the latter rolls his eyes at.

There wasn't a problem with his other friends knowing, of course. it was embarrassing and something he’d like to forget sure, but it wasn't a secret. the only problem was that it made him uncomfortable to do it at the moment. because this was why he had been so upset for the week, and coming out of his house with a plan to hang out with his friends only to listen to Kai talk about it was something he didn’t sign up for.

Being the observant person he was, Soobin takes Taehyun’s silence as a red flag, “Maybe next time,” he says kindly, easing his hands towards the youngest so he wouldn't be too disappointed, “hey, what’s that new game you were talking about, Hyuka?”

Kai’s eyes lit up once again at the mention of the game, “Oh, right! Genshin Impact! it’s this really cool rpg game-”

Yeonjun smiles fondly, and Soobin sends Taehyun a reassuring nod, before realizing his ice cream was melting where he held it above his lap halfway to his mouth. Taehyun laughs. It was  _ so _ easy to distract him.

* * *

Though, the happiness doesn't last long. you know how there was always that lingering feeling of sadness that will follow you everywhere if something was bothering you? that was exactly what Taehyun had felt throughout the day. whenever he spaces out, which was something he had tended to do a lot today, he always found himself remembering that tomorrow would be absolute hell for him and if he tries to run away from it further it would only catch up to him in a matter of time. and  _ it  _ being the deadline for the song submission, the errands he had to do for his music teacher and the fact that he wasn't allowed to do them alone.

Looking at his friends who were worry free, he thinks that either God probably had favorites or he had unconsciously done something terrible that he deserved this.

Eventually as they had arrived towards the arcade that was a long walk away (deciding to walk instead of using the bus had been Yeonjun’s idea, and Soobin had whined about it saying he didn’t want to do any exercise while Kai had just sided with Soobin. as he always had, anyway) and Kai finally comes up to confront him on something that seemed like had been bothering him the whole day as the other two exchanged money for tokens.

“Hyun! come on, what are you doing being such a sad sack?” Huening Kai frowns when he walks over to the boy who was sitting on the bench outside of the arcade, “are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Taehyun replies with slight hesitance, although his tone a contrast to his words “I’m just worried, its nothing,”

“You can’t say it’s nothing after you say you’re worried,” Kai turns to face him with a sad pout, “Hyun, I know what you're thinking about, and you really shouldn't be concerned- wait, I’m not saying you shouldn't be concerned, but i mean, don’t be now," he frowns, trying to think of an alternative way to tell him to have fun, seeing as his words probably sound different than what he intends to say. 

he starts to pick out coins from the small pouch he had brought, grabbing Taehyun’s hands and dropping a few on his palms, "c'mon! why don't we play that dance game? look, Yeonjun hyung and Soobin hyung are playing it right now!" 

"I don't want to..." 

"No, you see, that's exactly what wikihow would say  _ not  _ to do when you're out with your friends that wants to cheer you up," the youngest replies, moving to stand up and offering a hand towards him, "come onnnnnnnn, I hate seeing you so sad,"

"I'm not sad," Taehyun mumbles, shifting his gaze elsewhere. but Kai had none of that, so he opted to (very gently) grab at his wrist and pull him up and towards the bright and loud place.

Palpably he had definitely been with them. laughing at the way Soobin tries desperately to get the plushie from the claw machine just to prove to Huening Kai that he, in fact, is really good at it, only to waste all his tokens and getting nothing but a handful of teasing from the rest in return. winning second place after Yeonjun in a racing game that he didn't even know how to play. had teamed up with Kai to shoot basketballs only for them to miss every single one, play a bunch of other and probably every game offered and finally ending the day doing silly poses in the photo booth as Kai squeezes his way in between each one to put stickers over each of their faces before the strip gets printed out. 

But in all honesty, Taehyun had felt like he was floating in space. his thoughts elsewhere throughout the night. everything had felt so distant despite the touch of his friends wherever he went. he winces as he feels the gum under the chair of the photobooth, pursing his lips as he sneakily wipes his hand on Kai's (whom was sitting beside him, busy giggling at the picture that had just came out) jeans.

"Here you go, Hyun," Soobin says after their fitful laughter, handing over the strip towards the younger andTaehyun mumbles a small sound of gratitude. he looks at the photo and at his smile. it seemed distant compared to the other's. 

Huening Kai stretches and rubs his eyes sleepily the moment they step out of the arcade, a plushie in hand that he had traded for with the tickets he won from the basketball game.

"I cant believe its closing already, time really flies when you’re having fun," He yawns out, a lopsided smile on his face, "Come on! if we hurry up, we can catch the bus!" 

"We're not far from the stop, Kai ah, you don't have to worry," Soobin says, and Yeonjun laughs, lifting the hood of Taehyun's hoodie and covering his head, reaching out to hug the shorter male for a bit before pulling back, which odds him, "yeah! and as for you, you look like you're about to fall asleep anytime soon," 

"The bright lights from the arcade and the smell of pizza never fails to make me sleepy," he smiles lazily, slightly lifting the hoodie so he could see where he was going. he doesn't mention the fact that the gum had made him almost lose his mind at how he was desperate to get home. 

As Soobin had said, the stop was right outside of the arcade, just a couple minute walk away. a few people were waiting as well. there was a young boy holding hands with an older, pale looking woman, a couple holding hands and sharing earpieces, one leaning on the other’s shoulder, and a couple guys with skateboards and paint spray cans, hats that probably hid poorly dyed hair and smelled of smoke which had made Kai inch closer towards the tallest male in somewhat fear. 

There was always something about bus stations at night. strangers who had their heads down looking at their own devices hoping the last bus would arrive sooner and that there would be no need to share a seat with someone else so they could avoid looking at other people and get to their places and never meet each other again was something so normal yet something that makes Taehyun feel so alive, if that made sense. maybe it had been the ambience of the night.

Soon enough, Taehyun was saved from having an existential crisis over people at the bus stop when the bus pulled up, the lights of the sign turning off to signal the last stop for the night. he digs his hand in his pocket.

Only for his hand to grasp at nothing but his phone. 

"Come on, Hyun, what's keeping you so long?" Yeonjun asked from behind him, and a tired looking driver staring by his seat, the two of them being the only ones have not boarded yet. when did the other people board the bus? he really had to be careful of his surroundings more.

"My- my bus pass," he mumbles, looking up with a horrifying realization, "missing- it must've fell out," 

He had thought the bus driver would at least be a little understanding. I mean, would they really have the heart to abandon a kid in the middle of the night just because he had forgotten his bus pass? especially since they didn’t have a lot of passengers and their stop was on the way anyways?

Apparently this bus driver would, seeing as the ahjussi looked very close to cussing Taehyun out. looking out at the open doorway with a scowl on his face as if a stray cat had just climbed on board the bus with muddy paws and started continuously meowing noisily.

“Wait, let me just get it-,” he tries to insist, turning around back to the arcade, only to hear the sound of the roller shutters being pulled down over the already dark entrance. had they really finished cleaning up the store? it seems like the whole world was against him nowadays. Taehyun turned back towards the driver, and the button activated doors had already been closed shut.  _ asshole.  _

“Guess they couldn't even wait for me,” Yeonjun breathed out a laugh as he watched the bus start to move, probably a little behind now. Soobin had frowned out the window, Huening Kai seemingly sleeping on his shoulder. Yeonjun just sends a reassuring wave his way, as if telling him they’ll be fine just walking home. 

Taehyun is exasperated. nothing was going his way this week, he felt like a lost cause, “I’m so sorry hyung,” he mumbles, feeling his eyes sting.  _ just great _ . he starts to make his way back home the long route, just so he could have more time in thinking of a good excuse for his mother if she gets mad at him for coming home past curfew a couple of-

He checks his watch and curses

Coming home past curfew a couple of hours later.

“Hey,” Yeonjun calls out from behind him, but he doesn't bother to turn around anyway. Whatever it was, it could definitely wait.

It evidently wasn’t with how the older comes jogging towards him in quick steps, running in front of him and proceeding to walk backwards, “Taehyun ah, come on!”

“Hyung, isn't your house the other way?” 

Yeonjun chuckles, stopping to walk by his side instead, “It is, but I want to walk home with you. besides, it's dangerous at this time,”

“I’m pretty sure i can handle myself,” Taehyun replies, digging his hands into his pockets, “It’s not my first time walking home alone,”

“And it won't be mine either after you reach home safely,” he flashes him a grin, to which Taehyun has to suppress rolling his eyes at, opting to keep quiet at his adamant hyung.

He doesn't pay much attention to the older who was walking beside him. if Yeonjun had wanted a conversation, he could start one himself. but in all honesty, it was fine like this. he was a little glad that he didn't have to walk alone at a time like this, where he could have been left to just his thoughts. maybe Yeonjun had known that leaving him alone would have defeated the purpose of their hangout. 

“Hey, listen,” Yeonjun says, cold voice piercing the silent night and  _ here it goes _ . of course there had been a reason he would come with him. there always was, wasn't there?, “so, you’re going to hate me for this,”

“I already hate you for deciding to walk me home like I'm incapable,” he tries to joke, but it came out a little harsh so he apologizes silently afterwards under his breath, probably too quiet for the other to hear but he doesn't repeat it. Taehyun burrows his hands into the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie deeper, “and I feel like I don't wanna know anymore,”

Yeonjun lets out a soft chuckle, letting the air hang silently before he speaks up, “trust me when i say i don't want to tell you either,”

“You really shouldn't lead whatever you're going to tell me with this, hyung,” he laughs, but the action does not reach his eyes, and if Yeonjun was straining his ears, he would have heard the sound of anxiousness in his tone. something akin to fear was crawling at his skin, nipping much evident than the cold air of the night and suddenly, the street lamps felt much brighter. he had a quiet assumption on what could be, but he pushed the thought away. hoping.

“Look, I’m not here to tell you bad news, okay?”

Taehyun chuckles, albeit a little sadly, “Speak for yourself, I’ve got bad news for days,” 

“Tyun,” Yeonjun frowns, “don't you think you’re too hard on yourself? you usually never hold things for so long, even when they upset you. what’s going on?”

And there was the question again. he was really bad at masking his worries these days. _ Nothing’s going on,  _ was what he had wanted to say. to reassure him that he was absolutely fine, that he’ll get over it soon enough like he does with everything else. but he couldn't find it in him to lie to him, so he settled for silence instead. the sound of their footsteps and occasional loud engines from cars passing by becomes louder, and he thinks he’s probably really close to crying now.

He hears Yeonjun sigh and after a beat of silence, he speaks. and when he did, Taehyun swears his heart drops down his throat and right into the soles of his shoes.

“I contacted Beomgyu for you,” he starts, and Taehyun halts in his tracks, “Wait, no, don't stop-”

“Hyung,” he breathes, feeling his mouth getting dry and his jaw clenched, all feeling of sadness melting into one of anger, “I can take care of it  _ myself _ ! I c-”

“Listen, I know you’re mad at me, but you have to hear me out, Taehyun-”

“I  _ don’t need your help, Hyung! _ ” he yells, and the air stills.

It was bad enough that he was worried, but it was worse now that he had yelled at Yeonjun about it. the weight of the situation had been stressing him out to an extent that he couldn't even enjoy the day that his friends had claimed was for him, and they had probably tried their best to hide their disappointment at the failed day. not only had he been being rude to his friends but he knew he was, as well. and if that didn't make it worse then he wouldn't know what else would be.

He was becoming someone he wouldn't have liked, back before everything came falling down on him one after another.

An apology was at the tip of his tongue, but Yeonjun had grabbed his shoulders before he could voice them out to him.

“Look at me, Taehyun,” 

He doesn't, deciding to glare at his shoes.

“Taehyun,” Yeonjun repeats, “i didn't do this because i wanted to make you anxious, okay? I care about you, hyung cares about you, and hyung doesn't want to see you sad,”

Taehyun lets out a sigh, ignoring the fact that he had made himself seem condescending by pulling the hyung card. he knew the older would never do anything that he knew would turn out horrible, not to him. or not to anyone else. as idiotic as his choices could be, if Yeonjun knew where it lead would go bad, he would never put them in that position.

That fact had made his soccer team choose him as the leader. he was empathetic and despite having a slight greed for winning, he would never attempt anything that would stain their name awfully. Yeonjun was a good person, and Taehyun couldnt wholly be mad at him. 

Especially when he had taken the time to walk home with him just to tell him the fact that he had possibly helped him with his music career and his future when his house was the opposite way, under the orange street lamps that shone over the two of them in the dark coated night. Taehyun exhales, shoulders sag.

“I know,” he mumbles, throat so dry that he had to repeat again after clearing his throat, “I’m so sorry, hyung,” 

“That's more like it,” Yeonjun smiles, pulling the smaller into a short hug, “now stop worrying so much. Huening Kai looks so depressed whenever he’s talking to you and you’re just staring into space,”

At that, Taehyun winces. he should really work on finding the time to worry. maybe set out a schedule or something else that would help.

“How did you even manage to contact him?” Taehyun questions, “I didn’t know you… have his contact?”

“Last week's match,” Yeonjun explains, “My opponent’s team has a member who has a friend who’s friends with the friend of Beomgyu’s friend,” he grins.

“What? how did you even find that out?” Taehyun asked unbelievably, then he shakes his head, “actually, i don't want to know,”

With a finger to his lips, Yeonjun shushes him, “I have my ways,” he winks- with both eyes. he really has to work on that, “anyway, I’ve managed to convince him to convince Choi kid to have lunch by the tree at the back of the school, so be there,”

“The back of the school? that place is packed,” Taehyun says in slight disappointment, “I really dont want another video of me getting socked in the face to go viral again, hyung.”

“I’m having another match that day and it starts at lunch,” the older grins, beginning to start the walk back towards his own place backwards, “ and trust me, there won't be anyone there. they’ll be too busy looking at me,”

The younger scoffs, but he also breathes a sigh of relief. Yeonjun was truly a blessing. 

"Well, I’m going back!" Yeonjun says just before he bumps his back right into a pole, wincing as he rubs his neck in hopes the cashier that worked at the seven eleven store next door saw, and waves to Taehyun "Goodluck, yeah?"

“Thanks, hyung,” he smiles genuinely and the moment he turned around, he was filled with a sense of relief. or something akin to it, at least.

No, this definitely didn't mean that he had everything set together, but he had an option now. something he could cling to and hope would help him. and on top of that, he had his friends to support him and to turn to as well, and he knew despite their stupid antics, they were always going to be there for him.

Slightly, for the first time that week, he feels hopeful.

A distant  _ hey!  _ from Yeonjun made him turn around again, and when he did, his eyes landed on a particular card in between his fingers.

“After you do it come to me and I’ll return it to you!” he laughs, walking backwards before running away with a final, “Good night, love you! don't kill me!” 

Taehyun stands there in bewilderment.

“Is that my _ fucking bus pass _ ?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sneaky lil jjunie
> 
> wowow we're at chapter 30 already!! next chapter will be their official meet of our mains ~ well, official meet as in, without being forced to- well you get what I mean !! will yeonjun's plan go well? we'll see next chapter ;)) thank you for reading :)!
> 
> don't forget to collect votes and stream when blue hour comes out tomorrow !!! let's reach our goals !!!


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